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SP 2.75
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 010954. Z. NOV 79
CONFIDENTIAL
HKKZH3
31
RIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELKO,1549 OF 1 NOVEMBER,
2 *
•ESK OPE
INFO PRIORITY: MANILA, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA
PA
ROUTINE : HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON.
1820
1.
MANILA TELNO.409 : PHILIPPINES REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE.
1731
(1823)
1838
1840
WHEN RICHARD HOLBROOKE, THE U.S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS, CALLED ON ME THIS MORNING DURING A BRIEF STOP-OVER IN HONG KONG, HE SPOKE ABOUT THE
PHILIPPINES REFUGEE PROCESSING CENTRE. HE SAID HE WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED BY HOW SLOWLY THIS WAS GOING. THE PHILIPPINES HAD MADE A MAGNIFICENT EFFORT BY PROVIDING A GOOD SITE AND DOING SO AT A TIME WHEN THEIR GESTURE HAD A GOOD IMPACT ON THE GEENEVA REFUGEE CONFERENCE, NOW, HOWEVER, UNHCR WERE DRAGGING THEIR FEET
IN GETTING THE CENTRE BUILT. HOLBROOKE SAID HE WAS GETTING
EXASPERATED WITH THE BUREAUCRATIC SLOWNESS OF UNHCR IN GENEVA, THE AMERICANS HAD BEEN PUTTING PRESSURE ON THEM TO ACT MORE QUICKLY,
HE HOPED THE U.K WOULD DO THE SAME.
2,
HOLBROOKE SAID THAT, ONCE THE CENTRE WAS COMPLETED, A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER (5-10,000) OF REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG COULD BE SENT THERE. THE PHILIPPINES COMMITMENT TO TAKE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN ACCEPTED FOR RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES BUT WERE
WAITING THEIR TURN WAS QUITE CLEAR,
A
3. UKMIS GENEVA AND MANILA WILL BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO JUDGE WHETHER HOLBROOKE'S STRICTURES ABOUT DELAY ARE JUSTIFIED. FROM HONG KONG'S POINT OF VIEW IT IS OBVIOUSLY DESIRABLE THAT THE CENTRE SHOULD BE COMPLETED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. HOLBROOKE'S
CATEGORIC ASSURANCES THAT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG COULD BE ACCEPTED AT THE CENTRE ARE, I THINK, AS MUCH AS WE NEED AT PRESENT. CONFIRM THE VIEW THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO SEEK ANYTHING MORE
EXPLICIT FROM THE FILIPINOS.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
SEAD
HRIG D UND
FED
MRCORTAZZ__| MR MURRAY LORD.N.G-LENNOX
CONFIDENTIAL
THEY,
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