WE are glad to note that in a quest for openness and accountability in government certain legislators, and also your leading article (South China Morning Post, November 12), are asking for an explanation for the dismissal of a senior ICAC officer. We at United Migrant Workers have been concerned about the lack of an explanation for a decision by the Governor in Council affecting the interests of a Filipina migrant worker. In December 1992 the Filipina had received from the Director of Immigration a decision that she was convinced was unfair and unreasonable. So on December 11 she delivered to the Chief Secretary a notice of objection to that decision, as provided for in Section 53 of the Immigration Ordinance. She was shocked and saddened when nearly nine months later she received a letter from the Secretary for Security informing her that the Governor in Council had on August 31 confirmed the decision of the Director of Immigration. She had not dared to count on a conclusion favourable to her, but in the light of the recent trend towards open government, admirably led by the Governor, she had expected that, whatever the conclusion of the Governor in Council might be, reasons for the decision would be made known to her. The absence of his reasons from the Secretary for Security's letter left room for suspicion that the Governor in Council was acting as a mere rubber stamp for decisions arrived at by the bureaucracy, a suspicion which if not allayed would tend to undermine public confidence in the effectiveness of the checks ostensibly provided by Section 53. JOVITA L. LEUNG Treasurer and Member of the Executive, United Migrant Workers