[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 631 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.
[The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978GEORGE04016_d.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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GEORGE 04016 301628Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 PA-01 ICAE-00 CIAE-00 INR-10 NSAE-00 INRE-00 SCS-06 CA-01 PPT-01 SY-05 SYE-00 FBIE-00 SS-15 SSO-00 NSCE-00 L-03 H-01 /059 W
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O 301605Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8270
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FOR ARA/CAR:RAMCCOY
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CASC, OREP (RYAN), GY
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE NATURALIZATION OF CERTAIN PEOPLES TEMPLE PERSONNEL
1. IN ITS ISSUE OF NOVEMBER 29, GEORGETOWN’S EVENING DAILY, THE CITIZEN (WHICH IS GOVERNMENT-OWNED) CARRIES A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE REPORTING LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE JONESTOWN TRAGEDY. IN THE ARTICLE THERE IS REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT FIVE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE “WERE GRANTED GUYANESE CITIZENSHIP EARLIER THIS YEAR,” INDIVIDUALS ARE IDENTIFIED AS:PAUL ADAMS, DEBORAH TOUCHETTE, GEORGE PHILIP BLAKEY, JANICE WILSEY AND THOMAS JOHNSON. OF THESE BLAKEY IS KNOWN TO BE A BRITISH SUBJECT, BUT THE OTHERS ARE/WERE AMERICAN CITIZENS. TWO OF THE FOUR, ADAMS AND TOUCHETTE, ARE STILL AT THE PEOPLES TEMPLE OFFICE IN GEORGETOWN; THE OTHER TWO MAY BE AMONG THE VICTIMS OF JONESTOWN.
2. DEPARTMENT WILL RECALL THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR THE EMBASSY REPORTED THAT PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK NATURALIZATION ON BEHALF OF THESE
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INDIVIDUALS HAD APPEARED IN THE LOCAL PRESS. SUBJSEQUENTLY, THE CONSUL HAD WARNED PEOPLES TEMPLE REPRESENTATIVES THAT SUCH A MOVE COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. IF CITIZEN ARTICLE IS ACCURATE; IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS WARNING WAS NOT HEEDED. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO CONFIRM THE REPORT WITH GOG OFFICIALS.
BURKE [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana]
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