TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 98

85-10-24 21:42

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

28 OCT 1985

357

Do Wathe

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

c. The Nash SŁAD

28404 HKGOVT G

FOR JEAFFRESON, SECRETARY FOR SECURITY FROM WOODHOUSE IN NEW YORK

24 OCT 85

NY/GEN/190

COPIED TO :

ра

Fa SCORRI

HK GOVT OFFICES IN WASHINGTON (PL COPY TO GOMERSALL IN BRITISH EMBASSY), BRUSSELS, GENEVA (PL COPY TO WALKER AT UKMIS) LONDON (PL COPY TO LEEKS AT FCO)

WORKING LEVEL MEETING IN STATE DEPARTMENT

>

ON 22 OCTOBER I MET A NUMBER OF PEOPLE FOR AN INFORMAL WORKINĠ LEVEL MEETING. PRESENT WERE

A)

DR MICHAEL METELITS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE FOR ASIAN REFUGEE ASSISTANCE

B)

DAVID SHEAR, POLITICAL OFFICER, OFFICE OF CHINESE AFFAIRS

(WHO WILL VISIT HONG KONG IN EARLY DECEMBER)

C)

JOSEPH LAKE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR EAP/RA (I AM NOT SURE WHAT THESE INITIALS STAND FOR AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR CLARIFICATION FROM SANDRA LEE IN WASHINGTON)

D) DON BEAN, DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF ADMISSIONS AND PROCESSING

IN THE REFUGEE BUREAU, AND

E) CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS, A REFUGEE OFFICER IN THE BUREAU, WHO MADE

ALL OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MY MEETINGS AND LUNCH IN WASHINGTON.

2.

THEY ALL SAID BEFORE THE MEETING THAT THEY WISHED THAT THEY COULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO DISCUSS SMALL DETAILS. THEY REPEATED THIS AFTERWARDS AND I REGRET THAT I DID NOT ALLOW MORE TIME FOR

WASHINGTON.

3. METELITS ASKED ABOUT RASRO AND FOR CLARIFICATION OF HONG KONG'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE 90 DAY GUARANTEE PERIOD. HE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS INSISTING THAT IT BE ADHERED TO. I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE RELAXED ABOUT THOSE WHO HAD SECURED A RESETTLEMENT OFFER AND WOULD ALLOW THEM TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG AFTER THE 90 DAYS UNTIL THEY WERE RESETTLED. I SAID THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO KEEP EVEN THOSE WHO WERE GOING TO COUNTRIES WITH POOR RECORDS FOR MOVING REFUGEES WHOM THEY HAD ACCEPTED, SUCH AS FRANCE. I SAID THAT WE WERE FIRM THAT THOSE WITHOUT RESETTLEMENT OFFERS SHOULD GO.

4. I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY WITH WHICH RASRO OPERATED AND WOULD USE THE 90 DAY GUARANTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE UNHCR IN HONG KONG MADE THE SCHEME WORK.

5.

I EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE WILLING TO LOOK POSITIVELY AT THE UNHCR/US REQUEST TO PROVIDE A RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE IN HONG KONG. THEY WERE AT PAINS TO POINT OUT THAT THE REQUEST CAME FROM THE UNHOR,

BUT ALL OF THE PRESSURE SEEMS TO EMANATE FROM THE US (I WAS A LITTLE DISCONCERTED TO BE TOLD THAT QUOTE MY COLLEAGUES IN HONG KONG HAD NO OBJECTION TO THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE AND WERE AWAITING MY RETURN TO CONFIRM THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE IT).

6.

I

I SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION SURROUNDING RASRO, WOULD WANT TO BE COMPLETELY SATISFIED ABOUT THE CONDITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ATTACHED TO THE RASRO TRANSIT CENTRE. I SUGGESTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT