[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979GEORGE03497_e.html.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01
GEORGE 03497 090421Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 OCS-06 FBI-03 CIAE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 INC-01 ( ADS ) W
——————102476 232129Z /10
R 071820Z AUG 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0261
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 3497
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CGEN, GY
SUBJ: PEOPLE’S TEMPLE: INVENTORY OF JONESTOWN
1. AS DEPARTMENT AWARE, EMBASSY HAS MADE FREQUENT ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE GUYANESE INVENTORY OF JONESTOWN.
2. ACCORDING TO PERMANENT SECRETARY OF MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (AND CONSERVATOR OF JONESTOWN) EMERSON SIMON INVENTORY HAD BEEN COMPLETED, REPRODUCED AND BOUND IN EARLY JULY. SIMON NOW STATES THAT ALL REPRODUCED COPIES LOST IN FIRE WHICH DESTROYED MINISTRY PREMISES ON JULY 11. HE RETAINS THE MANUSCRIPT AND WILL SUPPLY EMBASSY COPY AS SOON AS IT IS RETYPED AND REPORDUCED ONCE AGAIN. SIMON COULD NOT ESTIMATE WHEN THIS MIGHT TAKE PLACE IN VIEW OF CONTINUING DISRUPTION FIRE HAS CAUSED IN HIS MINISTRY.
BURKE [U.S. Ambassador John Burke]
UNCLASSIFIED
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