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INTEGRITY OF BOTH CSD AND M AND HSD STAFF.
6, FRENCH CONCLUDED BY POINTING OUT THAT, SINCE MS HANBURY HAD BEEN ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE CLOSED CENTRES BY VIRTUE OF HER VOLUNTARY WORK FOR ISS, SHE SHOULD RECOGNISE THAT THIS PRIVILEGED POSITION IMPOSED ON HER CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES. THESE INCLUDED A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT ANY STATEMENTS SHE MADE PUBLICLY ON THE REFUGEE ISSUE OR ON CAMPT CONDITIONS WERE FACTUALLY ACCURATE AND UNBIASSED. SHE APPARENTLY TOOK THE POINT.
7. FRENCH ADDED THAT, AS HER REPORT HAD NOT ATTRACTED MUCH PUBLICITY EITHER IN HONG KONG OR IN THE UK, WE DID NOT INTEND TO RESPOND PUBLICLY UNLESS ASKED TO DO SO. MS HANBURY SAID SHE HAD LEARNED A LOT FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF PRODUCING THE REPORT AND DISCUSSING IT WITH US, FOOTMAN AND OTHERS.
COMMENT
8. MS HANBURY'S REPORT HAS ATTRACTED LITTLE INTEREST LOCALLY BECAUSE LOCAL MEDIA RECOGNISE ITS INADEQUACIES AND INACCURACIES. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD RESPOND TO ANY PRESS OR MPS WHO ENQUIRE ABOUT MS HANBURY'S REPORT OR POINTS RAISED IN IT ON THE BASIS OF THE SPECIFIC COMMENTS IN THE TABLE FOLLOWING BY BAG. HER COMMENTS ON RESETTLEMENT PROCESSING HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO HEART BY UNHCR HERE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FLOW OF INFORMATION BACK TO THE REFUGEES HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE MAIN RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES' REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
118
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HK
LIMITED
HKD
SEAD
UND
LEGAL ADVISERS
WED
SED
DISTRIBUTION
121
ECD (E)
SPD
FED
NEWS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR GILLMORE
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