3.
MATTERS ARISING
2
4.
3.1 Refugees from Irian Jaya in Papua New Guinea
Correspondence between the Chairman of the Committee and the Papua New Guinea (PNG) High Commissioner and a memo from Tapol (12 May 1985) had been circulated.
Martin Barber (BRC) had met with John Birch of the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA). He believed ACFOA had more information of the situation than British agencies.
Peter Shelley (SCF) reported that SCF were looking into the problem at the present time and would be in a position to give further information in the near future.
It was agreed that the Chairman would write to ACFOA enclosing the memo from Tapol and previous relevant BRC correspondence requesting their comments and further information.
3.2 Inter-Agency Meeting on Indo-China
A joint declaration (already circulated), signed by agencies who attended the meeting of 25 April 1985 (BRC, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Gordon Barclay Vietnam Fund, Oxfam, QPS) was read to the Committee by the Chairman.
Christian Aid had agreed to convene another meeting of agencies concerned with Indo-China later in the year.
3.3 Report of Meeting with New HM Ambassador to Vietnam
BRC, Christian Aid and Gordon Barclay Vietnam Fund had attended this meeting on 13 May 1985. Ockenden Venture and Oxfam had had separate meetings with the Ambassador Designate.
The Ambassador had knowledge of the area and was responsive to voluntary agency concerns.
It was agreed that it was helpful practice to meet Ambassadors before they took up their postings, and one that should be continued.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
The discussion centred on the Committee's response to the recently published Home Affairs Committee report with special reference to the Vietnamese.
A delegation from the BRC Executive Council comprised of Sir Arthur Peterson, Lord Ennals, Julia Meiklejohn, Maureen Connelly, Philip Perry and Martin Barber had met with David Waddington, Minister of State at the Home Office. The Government was expected to respond to the recommendations of the Home Affairs Committee in early July. In a discussion on the family reunion cases that had already been submitted to the Minister, Lord Ennals urged that a decision be reached on these cases prior to the publication of the Home Office response.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Mr Poul Hartling) had also met with David Waddington. In a meeting with Lord Ennals and Martin Barber, the High Commissioner had said that the Home Office Minister recognised that
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