OCMIAN 0811
RESTRICTED
RR HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
271215Z JAN
GRS 263
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELNO 165
OF 271215Z JANUARY 86
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TOP COPY
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LKK 243/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
28 JAN1986
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
YOUR TELNO 173: VISIT OF LORD CHITNIS
1.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE. WE ARE NOW
LIAISING WITH HKGO.
2.
REFUGEE ACTION (RA) IS A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH REFUGEE COUNCIL AND IS ONE OF THE TWO AGENCIES HANDLING RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES IN UK (OCKENDEN VENTURE IS THE OTHER). ITS FUNDING EMANATES MOSTLY FROM HMG AND IN THE LATEST ACCOUNTING YEAR INCLUDES PDS 134,500 FROM THE HOME OFFICE AND PDS 99,500 FROM DHSS FOR RUNNING A REFUGEE CENTRE IN DERBY.RA IS AN OFFSHOOT OF SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND WHERE MS MEIKLEJOHN AND SEVERAL OTHER OF ITS 22 PART TIME STAFF FORMERLY WORKED. ALTHOUGH MOST OF ITS WORK IS WITH VIETNAMESE, RA ALSO WORKS CURRENTLY WITH TAMILS.
3.
RA ARE REGARDED BY THE HOME OFFICE AS EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. WE BELIEVE THAT BOTH VISITORS WILL ASK PROBING QUESTIONS (THE MORE SO AS MS MEIKLEJOHN HAS SAID RECENTLY THAT SHE IS IN TOUCH REGULARLY WITH A FORMER WORKER AT THE CAMPS PROBABLY MS STREET), BUT SHOULD BE REASONABLY OPEN-MINDED.
4.
LORD CHITNIS HAS NOT ASKED US FOR A BRIEFING AND, GIVEN YOUR AND HKGO'S INVOLVEMENT, WE SEE NO NEED TO OFFER ONE.
5.
LADY YOUNG HAS REPLIED TO LORD CHITNIS SAYING THAT HKG RUNS CLOSED CAMPS AND WOULD BE GLAD TO ARRANGE FOR HIM TO VISIT THEM, AND THAT HKG WOULD PUT HIM IN TOUCH WITH UNHCR, IN
1
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