GRS 650
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG 25090OZ JAN 85
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 210 OF 25 JANUARY
ник оно /4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
28 JAN 1985
INDE
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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
ROUTINE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON NEW YORK, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.
HONG KONG BILL/NATIONALITY TITLE : PRESS REACTIONS.
SUMMARY:
1. COVERAGE OF THE TOPIC HAS GENERALLY DECLINED. MOST IMPORTANT
NEWS WAS THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE THIRD READING.
ENOCH POWELL'S AMENDMENTS STIRRED SOME INTEREST.
NEWS COVERAGE:
2. POSTPONEMENT: ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND SOME PAPERS NOTED THAT THE
COMMITTEE STAGE AND THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL WOULD BE POSTPONED
AT THE REQUEST OF THE LABOUR PARTY IN ORDER TO ALLOW HK RESIDENTS TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS, AND MPS MORE TIME TO STUDY THE ISSUE. SOME PAPERS EXPECTED THE POSTPONEMENT TO BE FOR ONE WEEK, ALTHOUGH WEN WEI PO ALONE REPORTED THAT THE LEADER OF THE HOUSE SPECIFIED TWO WEEKS. IT WAS GENERALLY NOTED THAT POSTPONEMENT
WOULD NOT AFFECT THE OVERALL SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETING LEGISLATIVE
PROCEDURES IN LINE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE WELCOMING
REACTION OF MESSRS KINNOCK AND ROBERTSON WERE REPORTED, TOGETHER
WITH ROBERTSON'S COMMENT THAT THE OPPOSITION MAY WITHDRAW SOME OF
ITS AMENDMENTS AND PUT DOWN NEW ONES.
3. POWELL AMENDMENT: SING PAO AND FINANCIAL DAILY BOTH
(MISLEADINGLY) REPORTED THAT POWELL OPPOSED THE TITLE BNO
AND SUGGESTED ITS REPLACEMENT WITH THE TERM '3RITISH STATUS **
ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED MORE ACCURATELY THAT POWELL
WANTED TO OMIT THE PHRASE ''NEW FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY'
AND REPLACE IT WITH THE VAGUER TERM STATUS''
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4. PUBLIC REACTION: SIR ROGER LOBO WELCOMED THE DELAY IN THE
THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL AND URGED HK PEOPLE TO PUT FORWARD
THEIR VIEWS ON THE ISSUE. EXCO UNOFFICIAL MARIA TAM REJECTED
ENOCH POWELL'S AMENDMENT, SAYING THAT *INATIONAL' HAD A SPECIAL
CONNOTATION WHICH STATUS'' DID NOT. THE DEAN OF HK UNIVERSITY'S
LAW FACULTY ARGUED THAT WITHOUT THE WORD CITIZEN IN THE NEW
TITLE, THE STATUS OF LOCAL PEOPLE WOULD BE SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HK AFFAIRS SOCIETY SAID THE NEW PASSPORT
SHOULD INCLUDE THE PHRASE "HOLDER HAS THE RIGHT TO ENTER AND
LEAVE HONG KONG, URBAN COUNCILLO? HOWARD YOUNG SAID THAT HK PASSPORT HOLDERS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO CARRY THEIR ID CARDS
WHEN THEY TRAVEL.
COMMENTARIES:
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