[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979GEORGE00324_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01
GEORGE 00324 231537Z
ACTION OC-06
INFO OCT-01 ARA-15 ISO-00 OCS-06 L-03 H-02 /033 W
——————041424 240435Z /64
R 231217Z JAN 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8788
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 0324
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CASC, GY, (PEOPLE’S TEMPLE)
SUBJ: GUYANES DEATH CERTIFICATES
REF: STATE 014147
1. ON JANUARY 15, 1979 CONOFF HARVEY CASH ACCOMPANIED TERRY FORTUNE (OF LEGAL ADVISOR OFFICE) DURING HIS CALL ON GUYANESE SOLICITOR-GENERAL. DURING THE MEETING S-G ASKED CASH HOW THE (GUYANESE) DEATH CERTIFICATE PROJECT WAS GOING. GASH RESPONDED THAT EMBASSY HAD ALREADY RECEIVED 599 AND WAS EAGERLY AWAITING RECEIPT OF OTHERS PERTAINING TO IDENTIFIED DECEASED.
2. AFTER STRESSING THE URGENT NEED FOR DOCUMENTS, CONOFF WENT ON TO MENTION THAT, AFTER ALL D/C’S HAD BEEN PREPARED FOR IDENTIFIED DEAD, EMBASSY WOULD APPROACH REGISTRAR’S OFFICE WITH AS MUCH DATA AS POSSIBLE ON PRESUMED DEAD AND TRY TO DOCUMENT THEM AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THE D/C’S ALREADY SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT CONTAIN ERRORS. EMBASSY HAD RECEIVED PHOTOCOPIES IN FILES HERE AND SENT LISTS OF THOSE THAT SHOULD BE RETURNED FOR CORRECTION. IN LINE WITH URGENT AT TIME, THEY WERE POUCHED TO DEPT. AS SOON AS RECEIVED. ALL D/C’S RECEIVED IN THE FUTURE WILL BE CLOSELY SCRUTINIZED BEFORE POUCHING.
DWYER [Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Dwyer]
UNCLASSIFIED
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