TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 90

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CONFIDENTIAL

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 5 MAY 1933

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

PECISTRY Action Taken

A J Sindall Esq

South America Department

F CO

PARAGUAY: HUMAN RIGHTS

BRITISH EMBASSY,

ASUNCIÓN.

18 May 1983

to fur SEAD

(R& R

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لله Tرنة

I write with reference to my telegram no 60. In my despatch on the Presidential elections of 18 February I commented on the remarkable freedom which the press had enjoyed during the election campaign. Now that the election is over the screws are again beginning to be tightened. ABC Color the largest circulation daily and the most outspoken critic of the Government has had "administrative" obstacles put in the way of its circulation police have been detaining their trucks for safety checks until it was too late to deliver the papers. More seriously we have had the closure and detention of all the staff of Banco Paraguayo de Datos (BPD) and its associated printing company.

2. BPD was established in 1979 to provide an economic information service, something which did not previously exist in any organized fashion. It produces an economic monthly Paraguay Economico which consists of summaries of recently published material on the economy with a covering editorial. The United Nations Association in London helped to finance the secondment of a British graduate (Anthony Hill, a product of Brighton's Institute for Development Studies) for two years to assist in the assembly of data, the production of special features and the build up of circulation. The UNA were planning further assistance. In the last 18 months BPD have started to produce Political and Social publications on the same basis. No details are available of circulation but my guess would be less than 5,000 each title limited to the business and student community inside and outside the country.

3. Generally the publications are factual and a useful digest for busy people but the editorials have become increasingly leftist, very reminiscent of Latin American Economy Review, and outspoken about Government

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