GPS 450
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 091818Z OCT 81
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 912 OF 9 OCTOBER
HIRIZ
34011
RECANIN HAND. 51
12 OCT
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
DAGSTRY
Action Taka
FOR LORD PRIVY SEAL FROM GOVERNOR
NATIONALITY BILL.
ملك
2610
160 27/10
398
(A) BE DESCRIBED AS ''BRITISH HONG KONG CITIZENS'' (WHETHER HONG KONG IS IN BRACKETS OR NOT) IN THEIR PASSPORTS, AND
1. I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INTERVENTION WITH THE HOME SECRETARY, THOUGH I UNDERSTAND WITHOUT RESULT SO FAR.
2. WHAT PEOPLE HERE ARE LOOKING FOR IS NOT ENTRY INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM WHICH THEY KNOW IS IMPOSSIBLE, BUT RATHER EMPHASIS ON THEIR
CONTINUING BRITISHNESS AND RIGHT TO BRITISH PROTECTION IN THIRD COUNTRIES. WE HAD HOPED TO DO THIS BY HAVING CBDTS DESCRIBED IN THE
BILL AS ''BRITISH NATIONALS'' SINCE PROTEST HAS FOCUSSED ON THE NATIONALITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE BEING CHANGED. THIS FAILED THROUGH HOME OFFICE LEGAL OBJECTIONS.
3. BUT IT WOULD STILL BE A GREAT HELP IF THEY COULD:-
392
See (400
415
418
424
414
See
396
(B) THAT THEIR STATUS SHOULD BE DESCRIBED IN THE BILL AS BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZENS (LIKE BRITISH CITIZENS OR BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS) AND NOT CBDTS. IF AMENDED IN THIS WAY THE FIRST
AND OPERATIVE WORD WOULD BE BRITISH'' WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANT TO
EMPHASISE.
4. THE ABOVE WISHES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE WELL KNOWN. LORD GEDDES, WITHOUT CONSULTING US, HAS NOW PUT DOWN AN AMENDMENT IN THE
SENSE OF PARAGRAPH 2 SECOND SENTENCE THAT HE WILL SPEAK TO ON MONDAY.
5. GEDDES SAYS THAT IF HE FAILS HE WILL MOVE A FURTHER AMENDMENT IN THE SENSE OF PARAGRAPH 3 (B) WHICH HE WOULD EXPECT TO SPEAK TO
ON 20 OCTOBER. I COULD PERHAPS PERSUADE HIM TO GO STRAIGHT FOR 3(B) ON MONDAY IF YOU THOUGHT THIS HELPFUL.
6. WHILE AN AMENDMENT AS IN PARAGRAPH 2 IS WHAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT,
MY MAIN CONCERN IS TO BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOME BALANCING UK RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION CREATED BY THE GIBRALTAR AMENDMENT, AND ABOVE ALL TO ACHIEVE 3(A), PREFERABLY THROUGH A STATEMENT IN EITHER HOUSE, BUT IF NECESSARY BY ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS.
7. UNOFFICIALS HERE ARE ANXIOUS TO LOBBY LORDS TO SUPPORT GEDDES.
I AM RELUCTANT TO ATTEMPT TO DISSUADE THEM SINCE THEY WANT TO SUPPORT ANY OVERT ATTEMPT TO HELP HONG KONG ON THIS ISSUE, AND DO NOT
WISH TO BE ACCUSED OF FAILING TO DO SO.
8. BUT I WOULD DO SO, IF YOU FELT:-
(A) THERE WAS A GOOD PROSPECT OF YOU STILL GETTING SATISFACTION OUT OF THE HOME OFFICE AND
(B) THAT THE PROSPECTS OF YOUR SUCCESS WOULD BE REDUCED BY UNOFFICIALS LOBBYING ON THIS AMENDMENT.
CONFIDENTIAL
19.