CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 09010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 65
OF 08150OZ JANUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
нко 3402
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
07 MAR 1990
2
174602
MDHOAN 0740
FROM HKD
DECK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN HONG KONG
1. WE ARE FAXING TO YOU A LETTER WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS RECEIVED FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR PROPOSED DRAFT REPLY CON WHICH WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS).
2.
SINCE THE ETHNIC MINORITIES WILL INEVITABLY BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE DECISION THAT NO SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE FOR THEM UNDER THE NATIONALITY SCHEME, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM WHAT REASSURANCE WE CAN ON OTHER RELATED ISSUES EG. THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE EXPRESSED ABOUT ARTICLE 24(4) OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR PROVISIONS ON HOW NON-CHINESE PEOPLE CAN PROVE THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN HONG KONG AS THEIR PLACE OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE. YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1987 IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE WILL NEED TO BE FURTHER AMENDED TO BRING HONG KONG LAW COMPLETELY INTO LINE WITH THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND THAT YOU ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING HOW BEST TO TAKE THE PROCESS FORWARD. WE WOULD LIKE TO GO SLIGHTLY FURTHER THAN THIS IN THE DRAFT REPLY FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO HARILELA EG. BY INCLUDING AN ASSURANCE THAT YOU INTEND TO INTRODUCE THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THIS WOULD CAUSE YOU ANY DIFFICULTIES.
3. FOR OUR OWN INFORMATION, IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD SUMMARISE THE CURRENT POSITION REGARDING ID CARDS FOR BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS AND HOW THIS AFFECTS THE NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITIES.
4.
HURD
GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY DESKBY 09093OZ.
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