CONFIDENTIAL
GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1524
OF 21074OZ APRIL 87
INFO IMMEDIATE MANILA
210/1
TOP COPY O DIST ?
OUR TELNO 1495: FOREIGN DOMESTIC HELPERS IN HONG KONG
1. THE ARRANGEMENTS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK HAVE BEEN GENERALLY WELL RECEIVED IN THE CHINESE PRESS BUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PRESS HAS CONTAINED CRITICISM, HIGHLIGHTING IN PARTICULAR COMPLAINTS BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FILIPINA MAIDS TO THE EFFECT THAT MAIDS WHO HAVE SUFFERED PHYSICAL ABUSE FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN ONLY TWO WEEKS TO LEAVE HONG KONG AND SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO CHANGE EMPLOYER. THE PHILIPPINE CONSUL-GENERAL HAS MADE MATTERS WORSE BY SOME DISINGENUOUS REMARKS IN A RADIO INTERVIEW TO THE EFFECT THAT HE TOO WAS WORRIED ON THIS POINT AND THAT HE HAD ONLY BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.
2. WE HAVE THEREFORE ISSUED A PRESS STATEMENT AT NOON LOCAL TIME TODAY, POINTING OUT THAT :
(A) THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ALREADY PROVIDE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES TO PERMIT AN FDH TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG FOR LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE TERMINATION OF HER CONTRACT AND INDEED, AGAIN IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCE, FOR THE FDH TO CHANGE EMPLOYER. SUCH EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES COULD INCLUDE PHYSICAL ABUSE OF AN FDH BY AN EMPLOYER. ALL CASES WILL BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY ON THEIR MERITS.
(B) THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN MANILA INFORMED RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ON 8 AND 9 APRIL. WE INVITED THE CONSULATE GENERAL IN TO DISCUSS THE MATTER AT THE SAME TIME BUT THEY ASKED FOR THE MEETING TO BE DEFERRED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK BECAUSE THE CONSUL GENERAL HIMSELF WAS IN MANILA.
WILSON
24
YYYY
HMLNAN 1732
MINIMAL
нка SEAD
CONFIDENTIAL