Council of Hongkong Indian Associations
Memberssociations ;*
THE INDIAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
THE HINDU ASSOCIATION
c/o TST P.O. BOX 95106, HONG KONG Telex: 43500-HARI-HX Cable "INDCOUNCIL"
Tel: 3-7218844
THE INDIA ASSOCIATION THE INDIA CLUB
THE KHALSA DIWAN
THE HONG KONG INDIAN WOMEN'S CLUB
THE NAV Bharat CLUB
25th March, 1986
4
Rt. Hon. Douglas Hurd, MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Home Office
Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1
Dear Home Secretary,
COPY
We are concerned that we have received no reply from you to our letter of 17th February in view of the approach of Easter the date by which it was originally proposed by HMG to lay the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order before Parliament. May we respectfully remind you of the last sentence in the penultimate paragraph of that letter: "We look forward to an early response to this letter which will enable us, if need be, further to marshall our case before any decisive step is taken by the laying of the Order". Principles of natural justice appear to us to require no less, and we have confidence that HMG will act fairly in this matter.
We would add that all which has come to light or occurred since the date of that letter has underscored the validity of the points which we made in it.
(1)
By letter to the Hong Kong Civic Association dated 12th February 1986, Timothy Renton MP, Minister of State at the FCO, expressly acknowledged that "a mass migration of BDTCS from Hong Kong to the UK is not likely". This was in response to a letter dated 24th January 1986 in which the Chairman of that Association invited confirmation that the so-called "knock-on effect" was an illusion: satisfaction of the demands of the non-Chinese BDTCs will not lead to like demands from the Chinese BDTCS. It now appears, accordingly, that HMG do not rely upon the "knock-on effect". (see letter 17th February para 4)
Contd.2/....
President: MR. H. N. HARILELA, OBE JP
Vice President: MR. K. STTAL, JP
Hon. Secretary: MR. K. B. RATHI Hon. Treasurer: MR. J. MULCHAND
Council Members: MR. S. A. AMEEN MRS. KAMLA KAPAHI MR. G. B. MAHBUBANI MR. LACHMAN NARAIN.