CONFIDENTIAL
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Resettlement
6. I mentioned the release of the SCORRI report but, not having seen the text, did not go into any detail. She hoped the UK would take the 4-500 who are known to have relatives there. She said that she had come under pressure from headquarters after the statement in the Legislative Council that Hong Kong would take 5,000 of the residual case-load. Principally UNHCR's concern was that she had not previously notified them of this. Her response had been that this was not a public position and that Hong Kong were especially sensitive about it.
Closed Camps
7. Part of the reason for Mrs Lasan's visit to Geneva at this time was to brief the High Commissioner in advance of his visit to Hong Kong next month. She thought he would be particularly interested in the question of the closed
She said that Bowring Camp was a great improvement on the others in that it was more spacious and less of a conrete jungle. But the barbed wire persisted.
Staffing
8. Mrs Lasan told me that she is now into her fourth year in Hong Kong and expects to leave during the next twelve months, but does not yet know when. I asked her whether she expected any changes in her office in the near future. She said that she was conscious that UNHCR had in the past sent inexperienced staff to Hong Kong in the belief that they could learn on the job. She felt this was wrong. The problems in Hong Kong were complex and experience was of paramount. importance. She said that she had made this point strongly to the Director of Personnel. She had also told him that it was not right to send middle-level female staff to Hong Kong. As Representative she dealt principally with British officials and experienced no problems but some of her female staff had experienced difficulties with some Chinese officials. She quoted the example of her Protection Officer who had been posted straight out of Harvard following a one week training course. Unfortunately this officer is the one Nicaraguan in the Office and she likes Hong Kong but Mrs Lasan thought there might be an opportunity to replace her. She repeated that Hong Kong should not be thought of as a training ground.
9. Mrs Lasan said nothing about her own successor. I have feelers out in the Office but it is early days. There are several candidates (male and female) in contention.
ever
Yours
Brian
B D Adams
CC:
P Cole Esq, UND, FCO
S T Nash Esq, SEAD, FCO Chancery, Hanoi
CONFIDENTIAL