[4]
Martin Barber reported that the Chairman of the BRC had written to John Wheeler, the Chairman of SCORRI, regarding the Government's response but his reply had indicated that the Sub-Committee had moved on to other business. It was highly unlikely that the Covernment would change its policy in the forseeable future after publishing the White Faper.
In consideration of these points, it was agreed that the Chairman should write to the Foreign Secretary welcoming the positive changes but noting the BRC's disappointment that no action was to be taken on the closed camps. It should also be emphasised that for a number of months the BRC had been taking a lead on pressing for increased resettlement offers etc. and that the Government should continue to urge other countries to offer additional places.
It was reported that Refugee Action was shortly to be launching a campaig on the human rights side of the closed camps policy and attention was drawn to a JCWI paper on the status of the Vietnamese in Hong Kong after 1997. There did not appear to have been any provision made for the refugees after this date. Concern was expressed at reports of Buddhist refugees in the closed camps being denied access to priests and subject to proselytising by certain fundamental Christian groups.
Peter Shelley (SCF) had recently been in Hong Kong where Save the Childre Fund is working in Bowring closed camp. While SCF would welcome the abolition of the closed camps, it was felt important to help in whatever way possible to improve the quality of the refugees' lives and their chances of resettlement while they still exist. He said that everywhere that he had asked or investigated about the charge of proselytisation, he could find no evidence other than the reports which had been made a few years ago.
SCF was intending to continue its programme in this camp.
On the question of increased resettlement offers, Benjamin Tang (Hong Kong Government Office) pointed out that todate the only country which ha responded positively was Australia which had increased its intake. This was a direct result of the UK initiative. The overall number of refugees in Hong Kong was down to 9,000.
Stephen Nash (FCO) reported that after the publication of the White Paper, there had been a period of intense lobbying in order to try and promote further resettlement offers from other countries. He added that the continuing Government commitment to accept refugees through the Orderly Departures Programme and boat rescues should not be overlooked. He also drew attention to the pledges made by the Government for Indo-Chinese refugees and displaced persons in Thailand during 1985 which reached a record of £1,153,000, divided as follows:
UN Border Relief Operation UNHCR (Thailand refugee programme)
UNHCR (Thai/Cambodian border programme) ICRC (Thai/Cambodian border programme) Christian Outreach (Thailand)
Save the Children Fund (for Laotian refugees)
£750,000 £100,000
£ 50,000 £200,000 £ 18,000
£ 35,000
plus a very recent pledge of £100,000 to UNHCR's Lao returnees programme. These contributions were noted and welcomed.
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