UNCLASSIFIED
3.
Mrelift
OCTOBER 1982
(Hong Kong & General Department
WH 307A)
*
f
189
28TH COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, NASAU,
HONG KONG, NATIONALITY
Noted By Afε m
4 Jayd
87/11
Noted
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Af1⁄4/11
Sans we
18/11:
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Ruck
MTPB
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meter
reply
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HKK 340/1
1. During a debate on human rights, one of the Hong Kong delegates, Miss Maria Tam, launched a diatribe against the British Nationality Act 1981. Her complaint was that Hong Kong citizens would hence- forth be described on their passports as "British Dependent Territory Citizens". She said that the people of Hong Kong would prefer to be described as "British Nationals with right of abode in Hong Kong". She argued that if they were described in their passports as British Nationals, they would be entitled to the protection of the British Crown, whereas the proposed formula of British Dependent Territory Citizens did not carry with it any legal entitlement to British protection. She cited in justifica- tion of her view an Opinion by the Attorney-General of Hong Kong dated 8 July, which she circulated to the British delegation.
2. Mr Marten later spoke to Miss Tam about this, and undertook to look into the points she had raised. Miss Tam said that the British Government should already be aware of the Attorney- General's Opinion; and she stressed that Hong Kong citizens were not asking for a right of abode in the UK.
Mr Marten would like to reply personally to Miss Tam in due course. I attach a copy of the Hong Kong Attorney General's Opinion, and of Miss Tam's card.
28 October 1982
cc: PS/Mr Marten
NTD
A.K. Goldsmith
A K Goldsmith
Commonwealth Co-ordination Department
чел
15/11
(27
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AFMI
Мо Мачевы
MBta pl
- see praming paper for badly), esp (179).
Refer to thèse in submiss
Dp for Mr. Martin pl 29/18
UNCLASSIFIED