HONG KONG. THE CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT NEARLY 200 PEFUGEES HAD BEEN RESETTLED FROM OPEN CENTRES THIS YEAR. THEREFORE, THE CANADIAN COMMITMENT TO 15 REFUGEES EACH MONTH HAD ALREADY BEEN EXCEEDED. HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT MORE WOULD BE ACCEPTED FROM THE
OPEN CENTRES.
6. THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT 30 REFUGEES HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM THE TWO OPEN CENTRES THIS YEAR BUT, IN VIEW OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO ACCEPT AN ADDITIONAL 200 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG (WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A FURTHER 200), HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE AUSTRALIAN COMMITMENT OF 10 REFUGEES EACH MONTH WOULD BE
MAINTAINED.
7. AS REGARDS THE REMAINING COUNTRIES, THE NORWEGIAN REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD BEEN AUTHORISED BY HIS CAPITAL TO SAY THAT HIS COUNTRY-WOULD TAKE 100 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG IN RESPONSE TO THE BRITISH INITIATIVE, IT WAS HOPED THAT THEY WOULD LEAVE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. THE NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT HER COUNTRY WOULD TAKE 10 REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. THE FINNISH REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT HER COUNTRY HAD AGREED TO ACCEPT 100 REFUGEES, OF WHOM THE MAJORITY WOULD HAVE COME FROM HONG KONG. THE SWEDISH, DUTCH AND DANISH REPRESENTATIVE POINTED OUT THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEIR CAPITALS, ALTHOUGH DENMARK HAD TAKEN 13 REFUGEES FROM THE OPEN CENTRES THIS YEAR. THE REPRESENTATIVES OF GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND BELGIUM POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE MANY PROBLEMS IN THEIR COUNTRY AND THEY WERE NOT HOPEFUL THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE A POSITIVE RESPONSE. THEY DID AGREE, HOWEVER, TO CONSIDER FAMILY REUNION CASES.
8. THE REPRESENTATIVES OF AUSTRIA, FRANCE, ITALY AND JAPAN DID NOT ATTEND THE RESETTLEMENT MEETING AND WE WERE ASKED TO WRITE, THROUGH THE UNHCR, TO THEM TO SEEK THEIR RESPONSE TO THE APPEAL.
9. THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF RASRO AT THE END OF THE MEETING AND WE POINTED OUT THAT WHILE WE SUPPORTED THE RASRO SCHEME, WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE 90 DAY GUARANTEE PERIOD WAS NOT (NOT) BE ING MET IN HONG KONG (OUT OF THE TWO SHIP RESCUES IN HONG KONG WE HAVE RESETTLED 29 OF THE 42 REFUGEES WITHIN THE 90 DAY PERIOD). WE ARE ALSO AWARE THAT FOR EXAMPLE, IN SINGAPORE THE 90 DAY GUARANTEE PERIOD IS RIGIDLY ADHERED TO. WE ASKED THE UNHCR TO INVESTIGATE
THE EFFICIENCY OF THIS SCHEME.
CCN.. PARA 7. REMAING TO READ REMAINING....
YOUDE
MINIMAL
HKD SEAD FED UND
COPIES ΤΕ
MONG HONG Government OFFICE
LONDON.