CPS 220
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM
IS GENEVA 131650Z SEPT: 79
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 22 OF 13/9/79
INFO FCO
INFO SAVING UKMIS NEW YORK
UNHCR STAFF IN HONG KONG
HKK
-243/1
P.A.
1687
1. ROBERT ROSSBOROUGH, WHO IS WELL KNOWN TO THIS MISSION, TELLS US HE IS ABOUT TO REPLACE RASANAYAGAN AS UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN
HONG KONG FOR ONE MONTH WHILE THE LATTER IS ON LEAVE. WE WARMLY
COMMEND ROSSBOROUGH TO YOU. FOR SOME TIME HE HAS BEEN THE
SENIOR BRITISH OFFICIAL IN THE UN IN GENEVA, HE WAS ONCE CHIEF OF
PERSONNEL AND FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS HAS BEEN DEPUTY WITH D2
RANK TO THE CO-ORDINATOR OF THE UN DISASTER RELIEF OFFICE. HE HAS BEEN KEEN TO LEAVE UNDRO (WHICH HE FOUND FRUSTRATING) WHILST REMAINING GENEVA-BASED (BECAUSE OF HIS WIFE'S HEALTH). HIS PRAYERS
WERE RECENTLY ANSWERED WHEN HE WAS SECONDED FOR ONE YEAR
RENEWABLE TO UNHCR FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS. HIS FIRST JOB WAS TO
LAUNCH UNHCR'S OPERATION IN UGANDA LAST MONTH. YOU SHOULD FIND
HIM AN EXCELLENT CHANNEL FOR COMMUNICATING POINTS OF CONCERN BACK TO
UNHCR HEADQUARTERS.
2. OUR CONTACTS IN UNHCR ARE RELUCTANT TO BE DRAWN ON
RASANAYAGAM'S FUTURE. CASELLA, THE HEAD OF SECTION (WHO SYMPATHISES WITH YOUR CONCERN), WILL BE VISITING HONG KONG ABOUT THE TIME
ROSSBOROUGH RETURNS HERE. HE SAYS THERE IS OPPOSITION HIGHER UP TO
ANY EARLY TRANSFER.
3. NEXT WEEK UNHCR ARE SENDING COLIN MITCHELL TO BE NUMBER TWO
WITH FREISCHMIDT STAYING ON AS NUMBER THREE. ALL WE KNOW OF MITCHELL
IS THAT HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN BEFORE JOINING
UNHCR TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO TO WORK IN HEADQUARTERS. HE IS OF
P3 RANK AND KEEN TO SERVE IN THE FIELD.
MURRAY
FILES:
EK & G D
UND
NEWS D
CONFIDENTIAL