CONFIDENTIAL
40/4
NKX14/5
A E Donald Esq
Office of the Political Adviser
Hong Kong.
347)
1. Dingudd You are
are drafting?
BRITISH EMBASSY
PHNOM PENH
15 October 1974
CopyX SEAD!
Cent
22/10
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA
1.
Please refer to your letter CR 56/2091/68 of 27
September to the FCO, which was copied to us for our comments on your paragraph 6.
2.
I have no hesitation in recommending that any Khmer national found to be illegally resident in Hong Kong be deported back to the Khmer Republic.
3. Possibly the majority of them (ageing or youthful dependants) have remained in Hong Kong merely because of the "better life" and it is feasible that they would escape punishment altogether upon their return to Cambodia. On the other hand, draft dodgers would be "punished" possibly by a spell of imprisonment and then undoubtedly by immediate conscription. Criminals could expect a trial upon return and punishment according to the law.
In none
of these cases can the penalty be expected to be unreasonably harsh.
4. The Khmer Government has a good reputation by Afro-Asian standards and any Khmer national who claimed that he would be treated unjustly or excessively harshly would have to make a very good case for asylum, before you would have serious grounds for considering.it.
5. We should be interested to hear of any such developments over such cases in future.
CA Hamilton
Copy to:
A C Stuart Esq
Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department FCO.
Page 60Page 61
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