This telegram, dated 5th January 1973, sets out the British Government’s official reaction to Idi Amin’s expulsion of Ugandan Asians. (FCO 73/163)
Transcript
Cypher Category A
Confidential
Top Priority Audio Telex 5 January 1973/Answer to Kampala
Text Begins:
You will be aware of the very strong reaction in the United Kingdom to the recent actions of President Amin.
So much has been said on this topic, much of it misleading, that my government believes it would be useful to set out as briefly and clearly as possible the reasons why they have found it necessary to condemn these actions in very strong terms.
We take the view, in the first place, that the President’s decision to expel non -citizen Asians was a blatant act of racial discrimination. These people had nothing whatever in common except the fact that they were of Asian ethnic origin. In Many cases, even the fact that they had, as they thought, acquired Ugandan citizenship did not save them from expulsion, since the Ugandan authorities seized on every possible pretext to deprive them of their citizenship, thereby creating a new group of stateless refugees.
Secondly, we hold that it was inhuman to require an entire community of this size to leave Uganda within 90 days. Many people who were informed at a late date that they were not regarded as Ugandan citizens had less time even than this to wind up their affairs-in some cases a matter of days. As you know, our views on this matter were widely shared by other governments and several greatly respected Heads of State did what they could to persuade the President to extend the deadline. He refused.
Thirdly, we consider that the treatment accorded by the Ugandan Government to the people expelled, in respect of their assets and personal possessions, was grossly unfair. Families were permitted to take only Uganda Shillings 1,000 (the equivalent of £50 Sterling) and some personal belongings: and although the Ugandan Government has given repeated assurances that some transfers will be allowed at a later date there has been no sign so far of this happening. For the time being at least the Asians have been deprived of the use and enjoyment of their property. They were expelled without their possessions and without capital on which they could have supported themselves.
CONFIDENTIAL