CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2293
OF 24014OZ OCTOBER 85
MFIDENTIAL
793
ник отот 040/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
29 OCT 1985
PDESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
PA
Act.
782
MIPT : HONG KONG AGREEMENT # NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS ON 18 OCTOBER IS AS FOLLOWS
BEGINS
PRESS RELEASE
THE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS IS DISSATISFIED WITH
THE FORMS OF NATIONALITY BEING PROPOSED FOR MINORITY BDTCS IN THE
DRAFT ORDER-IN-COUNCIL PUBLISHED BY HERE MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT (HMG) YESTERDAY. THE PROVISIONS DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE REQUESTS
BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR ITS
MEMBERS WHO ARE HOLDING BDTC PASSPORTS.
MR H.N. HARILELA, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, EXPLAINED THAT HIS ORGANISATION REPRESENTS VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS, WHOSE MEMBERS ARE OF ETHNIC INDIAN ORIGIN. MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS, AND IN SOME CASES, THEIR FAMILY CONNECTIONS GO AS FAR AS BACK TO 1841. THERE ARE 6,000 BDTCS AMONG THE INDIANS RESIDING IN HONG KONG: THERE IS ALSO A SMALL NUMBER OF OTHER NON-CHINESE 3DTCS WHOSE POSITION WOULD PARALLEL THAT OF THE INDIANS.
-
THE COUNCIL FEELS THAT IT IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT THAT AN INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE BGIVEN AN EFFECTIVE NATIONALITY WITH CLEARLY DEFINED RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE PROVISIONS WHICH ARE BEING MADE FOR THE ETHNIC BDTC MINORITIES DO NOT SATISFY THIS REQUIREMENT. IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEY WILL BECOME BRITISH NATIONALS OVERSEAS (BNO). CHILDREN BORN AFTER 1977 TO THESE MINORITIES WILL HAVE ANOTHER STATUS BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS (BOC) - AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR TWO GENERATIONS. SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS ARE NOT EVEN COVERED BY THESE PROVISIONS AND WILL, THEREFORE, BECOME STATELESS. IN FACT WHAT IS BEING OFFERED ARE WATERED-DOWN FORMS OF NATIONALITY ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN NO NATIONALITY. PASSPORTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED BY HMG TO RESIDENTS OF A TERRITORY OVER WHICH IT WILL HAVE RELINQUISHED SOVEREIGNTY.
THE COUNCIL DOUBTS WHETHER THERE HAS BEEN ANY PRECEDENT IN HISTORY WHEREBY SUCH A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IS BEING EFFECTIVELY DEPRIVED OF CITIZENSHIP BY THE CONTINUED REVISIONS OF A COUNTRY'S NATIONALITY LAWS.
CONFIDENTIAL
/THE.