TNAG-0498-FCO40-563-Deportation-of-foreign-nationals-from-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 54

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PS to Lord Goronwy-Roberts

Private Secretary

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LETTER FROM THE RT HON ROY JENKINS, MP: ILLEGAL EMIGRATION FROM SOUTH VIETNAM

1.

Mr Jenkins has written to the Secretary of State asking for comments on a letter from one of his constituents about the group of 118 illegal immigrants to Hong Kong returned to Saigon in June.

2. Most of the members of the group were men of conscription age who said they were seeking to avoid the draft. Before they were returned the Vietnamese Government gave us assurances that nothing serious would happen to members of the group who were victims of the syndicate which had smuggled them out of Vietnam, and that cases of violation of the emigration laws would be tried in open court and would not be harshly punished.

3.

Amnesty International have alleged that members of the group have been ill treated since they were returned to Saigon: in particular, they allege that 14 of the 118 have died and that about 25 men have been sent to front line units without military training, and that the group was savagely beaten. We have pressed Amnesty for their evidence but they have so far failed to produce any.

4. I submit a draft reply.

29 October 1974

PS to Lord frommy Roberts.

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C W Squire

South East Asian Department

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