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amnesty international
International Secretariat
53 Theobald's Road
WH/ja
Lord Goronwy-Roberts
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
Dear Minister
31S
London WC1X 8SP
Telephone: 01-404 5831
Telegrams: Amnesty London
Under-Scarry of State
Purfaraontary
Ack
O
Reed. 29/1
TO SEAD
18th October 1974
In Brayer rippy from Lud Gamay
Rosib pre.
Thank you for your letter of 11th September. I apologize for the delay in replying, the reason being that I have been abroad.
The reports that we have received of severe ill-treatment of the returned 118 South Vietnamese have come from Saigon and Hong Kong, from non- governmental organisations of international repute, from Mr Sanguinetti and from others connected with Amnesty International. Amnesty has to treat in confidence the communications made to us in circumstances such as the present, and perhaps I should explain further the reasons:
These
1. Of the statements reporting brutal treatment, most have come from non- governmental organisations with offices in Hong Kong and Saigon. communications were made to Amnesty on the explicit understanding that we would not reveal our sources because that would damage irreparably their future work in Vietnam.
2. We have also received allegations from relatives of the 118, again on a clear understanding that their communications are confidential to Amnesty alone, the reason being that if it is known to the Saigon author- ities that they have been in touch with us, there is a real possibility that there would be retribution by the Saigon authorities against the individuals concerned.
3.
Mr Sanguinetti, in his report to Amnesty, noted the allegations of brutal treatment made to him by officers of several non-governmental agencies. We have had long-established relations with these officers and have found them reliable and impartial. They maintain, without qualification, that there was brutal treatment on the basis of what they had learnt from dependable sources. Mr Sanguinetti also reported allegations made by relatives.
Because Amnesty had promised complete confidentiality to our informants, I am not in a position to pass on to you Mr Sanguinetti's report and our correspondence with others. However, I have extracted from this
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Chairman of the International Executive: SEAN MACBRIDE. S.C. Secretary General: Martin Ennals
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W KONS: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Great Sain Roger Baldwin, President of the International League for the Rights of Man.
Lt-Gen. Sir Brian Horrocks, Great Britain Jean-Flavien Lalive SwartzAP- - Professor Erich Fromm. New York and Mexico Saw Dolci, Sicuy
Professor Gunnar Myrual. Sweder
Alar Paten, Sout Professor Salvador de Madariaga, Spain Yehud: Menanin, Great Britain ·
Professor Julju. Stone Aukizain. Dr. Martin Niemoller, Germany Sour. MacBride, S.C.. Treina Professor Giorgio La Pira, Italy
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