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Matraver Mr Peira Ruka.
Mr Galsworthy] Opa. 243/5.
RECORD OF CALL ON MR LUCE BY LORD ENNALS, CHAIRMAN OF ASIA COMMITTEE
OF BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL, AND COLLEAGUES:
TUESDAY 22 JANUARY, 3.00 PM
inf
PRESENT:
Mr Luce
PS/Mr Luce
Ms O Walker, HKD
HKK 243/5
RECEIVEL
IN
ISTRY
Jeon Takan
!S)+)
Lord
Ennals
Committee)
(Chairman, BRC Asia
Dr Martin Barber (BRC Director)
Joyce Pearce (Ockenden Venture)
Margaret O'Grady (Christian Aid)
Peter Shelley (Save the Children
Fund)
Robina Brand (Save the Children Fund)
ord-Ennals said he hoped that the satisfactory conclusion of
the Hong Kong negotiations would put the Government in a better position to take positive action to solve the Vietnamese refugee
problem.
Mr
2. An all-party delegation of MP's had that morning called on Mr
Waddington to discuss refugee resettlement in Hong Kong. Waddington had agreed to look at special cases of refugees in open
camps who had relatives in the UK and whom the BRC considered to
have particularly compassionate circumstances.
3. Lord Ennals had presided at a press conference given by the MP's after their meeting. They had all visited Hong Kong in recent
months, and felt that the conditions in the closed camps could no longer be tolerated. Sir Nicholas Bonsor had particularly strong
views on this. They were concerned not only because of the
difficult physical conditions and overcrowding, but also because the refugees had no hope. As the last page of "Behind Barbed Wire
stated, a comprehensive solution was needed. The BRC felt that the
time was ripe for HMG to initiate an international conference to
which other countries which had taken Vietnamese refugees for family
reunion should be invited.
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