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Documents on Canadian External Relations
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Volume #20 - 751. | ||
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CHAPTER VII FAR EAST | ||
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PART
1 INDOCHINA | ||
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SECTION
C INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SUPERVISION AND CONTROL FOR VIETNAM | ||
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751. |
DEA/50052-A-40 | |
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Commissioner, International Supervisory Commission for Vietnam, to Secretary of State for External Affairs | ||
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TELEGRAM 8 CONFIDENTIAL. IMPORTANT. |
Hanoi,
August 16th, 1954 | |
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Naturally Commission's main job is get itself organized and accommodated and as much progress is being made as could be expected. There is a prospect that before very long there will be adequate office accommodation and communications facilities. 2. Commission, however, has had to face its first question of substance. We found the two sides deadlocked on the release of prisoners of war. The French wanted to start the exchange at once while the Democratic Republic refused to contemplate any exchange until they had received from the French complete lists of all those in French hands. To do this in a hurry presented technical difficulties for the French who had only been asked for these very detailed lists on August 7th. The Democratic Republic said it might be necessary to postpone the date for liberating prisoners if they did not receive the lists in time. Commission used its good offices and impressed upon both parties the importance for humanitarian and other reasons of starting the release of prisoners at the earliest date. We were able to make a unanimous suggestion (not a formal recommendation) which helped to bring the two parties together. We told the French that they must compile their lists as quickly as possible and we told the Democratic Republic that there could be no question of postponing the date laid down in the Agreement for the liberation in the free zone. French and Democratic Republic agreed on a compromise which looks workable and thanked the Commission for its help. 3. Clearly the prisoner of war issue is full of potential trouble but for the moment things are on the rails again.
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