BORDER CONTROL POST: BORDER POLICE: MINI VAN ARRIVES IN CONVOY: APARTMENT BUILDING: GERMANS OUT OF VAN: LUGGAGE UNLOADED: GERMANS IN APARTMENTS.




Initials GL/VS/MR/PS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: SEVEN WEST GERMANS -- FOUR MEN, AND THE WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN OF ONE OF THEM -- CROSSED INTO HONG KONG YESTERDAY (29 OCT.) AFTER 14 MONTHS' DETENTION IN PEKING. THEY HAD REACHED THE LOWU BORDER VILLAGE BY TRAIN AFTER FLYING FROM PEKING TO CANTON.

THE FOUR MEN, TECHNICIANS WORKING FOR A WEST GERMAN CHEMICAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, HAD JUST COMPLETED THEIR WORK AT A PETRO-CHEMICAL PLANT AT LANCHOW WHEN THE GROUP WERE DETAINED AT PEKING'S HSIN CHIAO HOTEL. NO CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST THEM, AND THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE BEING HELD WHILED CUSTOMS FORMALITIES WERE CHECKED.

ANOTHER EMPLOYEE OF THE WEST GERMAN COMPANY IS IN PRISON IN LANCHOW, SERVING A TEN YEAR SENTENCE FOR ALLEGED SPYING FOR THE UNITED STATES.

AS THE GROUP CROSSED INTO HONG KONG THEY WERE TAKEN TO ACCOMMODATION BELONGING TO THE COMPANY'S AGENTS THERE. WAITING REPORTERS WERE UNABLE TO INTERVIEW THEM, AND IT IS UNDERSTOOD THIS WAS BECAUSE THE FOUR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES WHO NEGOTIATED THEIR RELEASE ARE STILL IN PEKING, PRESUMABLY TRYING TO ARRANGE THE RELEASE OF THE JAILED MAN.

THE RELEASE OF THE SEVEN WEST GERMANS STILL LEAVES NINE BRITONS AND AT LEAST 13 JAPANESE AND 10 UNITED STATES CITIZENS DETAINED BY THE PEKING AUTHORITIES.