PNG, taken from Latin means to declare an individual ‘persona non grata’ , an unwelcome person, person not appreciated. Namely it stands for a foreign individual whose entering or remaining in a particular country is prohibited by that country’s government.
In light of the 35 Russian nationals that the USA declared persona non grata recently, one is reminded of the action that Canada took in February of 1978 in expelling 11 Soviet ‘diplomats’ for ‘activities incompatible with their status as diplomats’. Amongst the 11 were two Estonians.
The case was disclosed by the Donald C. Jamieson, then the Secretary of State for External affairs. Expelling 11 ‘diplomats’ at one time was for the time a large number. Up until then for the preceding decade only a total of eight had been PNG-ed by Canada.
It was disclosed that the Soviet representatives had offered an RCMP officer ‘unlimited’ funds for information on Canadian intelligence tradecraft and had paid $30,000 over a period of nearly a year for bogus material deliberately supplied by the Canadians.
In the House of Commons, Jamieson said, ”This case proved to be a classic example of an intelligence operation, involving complex signaling systems, coded passwords, secret concealment devices, all for the purpose of arranging clandestine meetings between the RCMP member and the Soviet agent. This incident and the action we have had to take today, place strains on our relations with the Soviet Union.
He detailed the activities of he Soviets: “Early in 1977, two Soviet intelligence officers approached a member of the RCMP and offered him an unlimited sum of money to spy for them. This member of the force had, on an earlier posting and in the normal course of his responsibilities, come into frequent contact with one of the Soviet officials in this case. (Pikemalt Eesti Elu 6. jaanuari paberlehest)