SERIOUS DOUBTS IN THE AIR, THOSE OF US INTERESTED IN KING, EVER SINCE. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GREEN PAPER ON. TIONALITY FOUR YEARS AGO, HAVE TAKEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRESS ON SUCCESSIVE HOME SECRETARIES THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING URE THAT THIS BILL, WHEN IT WAS FINALLY INTRODUCED, DID NOTHING O ADD TO THE UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE BRITISH COMMITMENT TO HONGKONG.
HAD THIS GOVERN- ENT FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GREEN PAPER, THE PEOPLE N HONGKONG NOW TERMED BRITISH CITIZENS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM NO COLONIES WOULD HAVE BECOME BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS. HATEVER ASSURANCES WERE GIVEN THAT THEIR PRESENT RIGHTS OULD BE UNCHANGED, THIS PARTICULAR TITLE WOULD HAVE AROUSED EEP MISGIVINGS.
N THIS WE HAVE ONLY BEEN PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL
E YERE THEREFORE PLEASED THAT THIS GOVERNMENT DID WHAT WAS REVIOUSLY DEEMED IMPOSSIBLE, THAT IS, INTRODUCED AN EXTRA CLASS F CITIZEN, CITIZEN HIP OF BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, OMPOSED OF COUNTRIES WITH PARTICULARLY CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH BRITAIN. THIS WOULD SURELY RANK HIGHER THAN THE STATUS OF
RITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP COVERING FORMER COLONIES AND TERRI- ORIES WITH MORE DISTANT CONNECTIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM.
LONGKONG IS OF COURSE BY FAR THE LARGEST TERRITORY WHOSE PEOPLE AN CLAIM CITIZENSHIP OF 3RITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES. OWEVER, THE INTRODUNTION OF THIS ADDITIONAL CATEGORY OF CITIZENSHIP ARCLEY FOR THE REASSURANCE OF HONGKONG, HAS NOT SUCCEEDED IN HAT OBJECTIVE. PARAGRAPH 13 OF THE WHITE PAPER READS:
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SEPARATE CITIZENSHIP OF NRITISH DEPENDENT, TERRITORIES, WOULD IN NO WAY ALTER THE RELATIONSHIP
ETWEEN THOSE TERRITORIES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM-11
ORE FOLLOWS
10404 H K GOVT G
29404 HKGOVT G
SLOL HKGOVT G
: