SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret
DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
group as a special category within the scheme: the non
ethnic Chinese minorities will be eligible to apply for
British citzenship under the scheme and each application
will be treated on its merits.
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
As you know, in recognition of the particular
concerns of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, the
Government have already taken steps to reassure them
about their positioin after 1997. We have made provision
for the children and grandchildren of former BDTCs born
after 1997 to acquire British Overseas Citizenship if
they would otherwise be stateless. And we have also
given a specific assurance in Parliament that if, against
all expectations, the ethnic minorities came under
pressure to leave Hong Kong in the future, and had
nowhere to go, we would expect the government of the day
to consider their case for admission here with
considerable and particular sympathy. We stand by that
undertaking.
Although these are significant reassurances,
I know
that our latest decision will nevertheless be a
disappointment to you and your colleagues in the Council
of Hong Kong Indian Association. I am sorry that we have
been unable to do more.