not
GAS 223
CYPHER CAT A
FM F C O 281600Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Ry Enter & po
41K1243/33211-
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 146 OF 20 FEB 1977
داکتر که تاک
INFO VIENTIANE (VIENTIANE PLEASE PASS SAVING TO HANOI) BANGKOK
FOR DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION
KANO TELNO 40: MAIDEEN AND WHITE
recid· 1. IF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED ABOUT THE HANDLING OF REPATRIATION OF
HONG KONG AND UK CITIZENS FROM HO CHI MINH CITY AND THE ROLE OF
MAIDEEN, FCO NEWS DEPARTMENT INTEND TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
1) THE REPATRIATION OF HONG KONG AND UK CITIZENS FROM SOUTHERN VIETNAM HAS BEEN A LONG AND DIFFICULT OPERATION. SEVERAL HUNDRED
HONG KONG CITIZENS OR THEIR DEPENDENTS HAVE BEEN FLOWN TO HONG
KONG. SOME 2,000 MORE ARE STILL IN VIETNAM.
(11) MUCH OF THE WORK OF REPATRIATION HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY MR SAMUEL LEDA -MAIDEEN, WHO, SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF BRITISH EMBASSY STAFF FROM SAIGON IN APRIL 1975, HAS ACTED AS AN UNOFFICIAL RE- PRESENTATIVE OF NG AND HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING THE
MANY APPLICATIONS FROM UK AND ESPECIALLY HONG KONG CITIZENS WANT--
ING TO BE REPATRIATED, BRITISH CONSULAR STAFF FROM HANOI HAVE
ONLY RARELY BEEN ABLE TO TRAVEL TO HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)
MR MAIDEEN'S WORK HAS CONSEQUENTLY BEEN OF GREAT VALUE AND HAS
EARNED HIM TRIBUTES FROM MANY OF THOSE REPATRIATED,
2. IF ASKED ABOUT MAIDEEN'S CITIZENSHIP WE WOULD SAY MERELY THAT HE IS OF INDIAN ORIGIN, AND HAS ACTED IN HIS PRESENT CAPACITY
OUT OF GOODWILL TO THE UK.
3. GRATEFUL, UNLESS YOU SEE OBJECTION, IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE
SAME LINE.
OWEN
FILES
SE A D
N KD NEWS
MR MURRAY
CONFIDENTIAL
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