Cable Briefs (Press, 2 May 1981)

On 2 May 1981, South Korean authorities lifted the partial house arrest of Mrs Kim, the wife of political dissident Kim Dae Jung. She had been under restrictions since the imposition of full martial law in South Korea. Kim Dae Jung had been arrested early in the martial law enforcement and is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted of sedition in January 1981. Mrs Kim was informed by the police that she would now have freedom of movement, though no reasons for the change were provided. Additionally, Kim Young Sam, the president of the former major opposition New Democratic Party, was also released from house arrest. In San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, a disfigured body was discovered, which may belong to the missing American priest, Rev. Roy Bourgeois, of the Roman Catholic Maryknoll order. The body, found after Bourgeois disappeared four days earlier, was unrecognisable due to disfigurement, but clothing and footwear suggested it could be him. This incident follows the recent high-profile murder of three American nuns from the same order, which sparked significant outrage in the United States. Bourgeois had arrived in El Salvador on 23 April to provide translation services for a television crew. In the United States, a 19-year-old boy scout, Timothy Curran, has filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America for expelling him on the grounds of being a militant homosexual. The suit, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, claims damages of $580,000, accusing the organisation of civil rights violations and illegal discrimination. This case marks the first known instance of such a legal challenge against the Boy Scout movement, which has around 13 million members globally. A government panel in Japan reported that a recent radioactive leak from the Tsuruga nuclear power station, operated by the Japan Atomic Power Company in Fukui, was caused by a mix of design flaws, operational and security weaknesses, as well as human errors. However, the panel confirmed that the radiation levels within the plant never exceeded safety standards and that radioactive wastewater was not disposed of in a manner that posed a public health risk. In China, Communist Party chairman Hua Guofeng made an unexpected public appearance, leading a group of leaders at a gala concert in celebration of May Day, despite speculation about his impending demotion. Notably absent was Deng Xiaoping, a major figure in the party, interpreted by many observers as a significant potential factor in Hua's expected relegation. However, the absence of Deng did not draw substantial interpretations as several other leaders were also not present at the concert.

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