CCBL-SG/RDI-INTI-FR01-870314 (3)
1.
Foreword
The fifth meeting of the Special Group on Inhabitants' and Other Persons' Rights, Freedom, Welfare, and Duties resolved to organise a seminar on the rights and interests of the indigenous New Territories inhabitants. The seminar was held on 6 September 1986. After the seminar. a report was compiled according to opinions collected at the seminar and written submissions. The Special Group discussed the report and relevant materials at the tenth meeting and this discussion paper was thus prepared. It will be submitted to the Drafting Committee, together with the appendices which include the report on the rights and interests of the indigenous New Territories inhabitants, written submissions and relevant information in magazines and newspapers.
2
Definition of indigenous New Territories inhabitants:
inhabitant refers to a person descended line from a person who was in 1898 a
A New Territories through the male resident of an established village in Hong Kong.
3
To stipulate the rights and interests of the indigenous New Territories inhabitants in the Basic Law :
Some object to stipulating the rights and interests of the indigenous New Territories inhabitants in the Basic Law for
3.1
the following reasons :
3.1.1 Undeniably. indigenous New Territories inhabitants enjoy certain privileges now and this phenomenon is the result left over from history. However, it is the legacy of feudalism. Since Hong Kong is a small place, if the rights of the indigenous New Territories preserved, it will not be practical in the
and
interests
inhabitants are
long run.
3.1.2 After Hong Kong
Kong should be category called
is returned to China. all Chinese in Hong treated equally and there should not be A indigenous New Territories inhabitants.
3.1.3 The rights and interests of indigenous inhabitants are
derived
from
constitutional.
stipulations.
policies
thus, the
are
and customs and
not Basic Law should not have such
1