DEC 04 '85 19:43 GIS HK
Deamond Lee.
4
In Hong Kong. 3.2 million ethnic Chinese hold BDTC passports, and another 2 million Certificates of Identity (CI). the latter document is merely a travel paper which does not carry a nationality. In this respect, the holder of a CI is a stateless person who enjoys exemption from visa for entry only to Singapore, and no other country. Many CI holders have lived here for many years and established a career. They are no less of a Hong Kong belonger than a BDTC, but cannot claim a nationality like the latter. If Britain considers that support for the BN(0) is desirable, this category of Hong Kong belongers (CI holders) should be encouraged to apply for BDTC status (and subsequently transfer to BN(0)), To provide an incentive, the current naturalisation procedures should be simplified and expedited. report of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (November 1985) has made reference to the unsatisfactory
situation.
A
Only in
It would be unfair to leave the subject of statelessness without making a case for the ethnic minorities,
If the "one although their number is below twenty thousand. country, two systems" concept is to be successfully implemented, the 5 1/2 million population of Hong Kong must consider themselves as an integrated society and behave like one. this way will Hong Kong function as a distinct system after 1997, following the transfer of sovereignty. The presence of minorities in Hong Kong is a main feature of this international business centre. Among the minorities, the Indian community, comprising around fourteen thousand people, is the largest group, and it is believed that other minorities will find themselves in a similar situation. I am informed that the Indians in Hong Kong have stayed here for many years, integrated themselves with the local community and regard Hong Kong as their permanent home. All of them came of their own free will, or at least their parents or ancestors did, knowing that Hong Kong was under British administration. Among these Indians, six thousand hold
P.4