TNAG-1523-FCO40-2087-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1986 — Page 46

BRIEF NOTE OF MEETINGS WITH HKG OFFICIALS

20-24 JANUARY 1986

HONG KONG:

52

CONFIDENTIAL

Meeting with David

Branch:

Jeaffres on and Ken

Woodhouse, Security

first, refugees:

(i)

KK 243/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

29 JAN'1986

Lees

on

now

diplomatic offensive: We agreed on a general assessment

that the main effort should continue to concentrate

the "big 3" resettlement countries plus Japan. For the

est (mainly Europe) we should continue to press family

eunion cases wherever possible. HKG were particularly

e en that,

where UNHCR had been given (or sought) a Action Taken role with individual countries, UKMIS Geneva should

them (UNHCR) keep

to up

the mark

specifically they

should prod UNHCR now оп Norway, Sweden, Finland,

Denmark, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Netherlands.

(Comment: we need а Tel to UKMIS Geneva which I should

be grateful if Mr Barton would now draft.)

REGISTRY

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

✓

а

Ke

(ii)

?

Big3

+Japan (+___?)

be

unsympathetic.

I

present mo od EXCO

made the obvious points

Absorption by Hong Kong: This and the RASRO transit centre proposal would go to EXCO on 4 February. There

was a very real risk that in its

would

about our need to have some further response from Hong Kong to provide leverage both with other countries and

with the Home Office. We discussed steps that might be

taken to maximise impact of a favourable decision by

EXCO. HKG would like Us to approach again the main

countries (Comment: we shall then need a line оп

further UK off take) while HKG tackle their Consuls

General. They were particularly keen that we should

press the Australians in Canberra (since a local

difficulty over personalities has made it more

difficult for Hong Kong to press the Australians for

the moment) and that the US should be pressed hard for

a response to a favourable decision on RASRO (on which

EXCO will be asked to agree in principle only that HKG

should negotiate a suitable deal with UNHCR

this

should satisfy the Americans.) We also discussed the

New Zealand response thus far: Hong Kong considered

that we should first let the "10" go to New Zealand,

and then press for more I concurred.

-

CONFIDENTIAL