Yachtsmen released
NZPA-Reuter Bangkok Four young Western 1 yachtsmen have arrived in : Bangkbk after being held 1 captive' - by Vietnamese | authorities for seven weeks, 1 accused of violating terri- i torial waters and taking photographs of military in- ’ stallations. 1 They said they were f threatened with long spells < of imprisonment, forced to 1 sign false statements, and 1 finally allowed to set • sail « after being fined at a "show 1 trial.” t
“I was signing these things, but they were lies,” Shelly Green, aged 27, a Canadian refrigerator engineer said. “The nightmare was me realising that I had signed.” Mr Green said that he and the other three yachtsmen— Robert Draper, aged 33, a geophysical engineer from Australia, a Swiss freelance photographer, Dominik Labhardt, aged 26, and a French electronic technician Gerard Mallaval—were kept in isolation for 5| weeks • in a
southern Vietnamese coastal town after their capture on May 9. At the "show trial” the three were found guilty and fined 5000 dong (about $1700) after a hearing lasting about three hours. Mr Labhardt and Mi Green said they were eventually released after being made to sign their travellers cheques and handing over their cash and possessions such as cameras.
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Press, 16 July 1980, Page 8
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202Yachtsmen released Press, 16 July 1980, Page 8
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