THE WELFARE LEAGUE
同
Registered address:
Rm. 5608 Hopewell Centre, 183, Queen's Road Est. Hong Kong.
197
Honorary President
Dr Douglas Laing, F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S., J.P.
Honorary Vice Presidents
Dr S. V. Gittins, O.B.E., QC, LL.D.
Peter Hall, Esq., F.C.A.
Dr C. J. Symons, C.B.E., L.L.D.
General Committee
E.P. Ho, Esq., C.B.E., J.P. (President) L.C. Kotewall, Esq. (Vice President) Michael Tse. Esq. (Hon Treasurer) Miss J.A. Willis (Hon Secretary) S.M. Chum, Esq., E.D.
J.C. Fenton, Esq.
Kenneth Lo, Esq., O.B.E., J.P.
S.J. Lowcock, Esq., M.B.E., J.P.
P. Stoppa, Esq.
Frank S.H. Wong Esq.
CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE
Please reply to:
6 Lloyd Path,
The Peak,
458
1 JUN 1990
22 May 1990.
Hong Kong .
RECEIVED
Dear Low Shop,
سا
BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) BILL 1990
CLAUSE TO PROVIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR DESCENDENTS OF BRITONS
The Hong Kong Bill will soon be passed by the House of Commons, and it will then come to the House of Lords for consideration. We fear that the Bill which will be presented to you will not make any specific provision for the handful of our community domiciled here, some no longer in their prime, but all descended from British stock.
2.
Why are there only a handful of us left after 150 years of British Rule? It is simply that many saw the impermanence of Hong Kong as a British Crown Colony in the post World War II era of de-colonisation. Accordingly, there are few Eurasian, or Anglo-Chinese, families which do not have one or more of their members settled in one English-speaking country or another where they have been easily assimilated - in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United States.
3. The 1000 or so of us who have opted to remain, including those no longer in our prime, have largely done so with our eyes open, in the sense that we hoped the Sino-British Joint Declaration would work as envisaged. But the events of June 1989 in Beijing, and the ensuing repression in China, has changed all that. Apart from those among us who have British or some alternative citizenship, the remainder all fear the worst without any possibility of British consular protection after 1997, and without the fall-back of a home of last resort in the United Kingdom. We trust the House of Lords will recognise our case for the grant of British citizenship under this Bill not only for those in their prime.
4.
---
The Eurasian or Anglo-Chinese community here will be the section of the population most at risk when Hong Kong reverts to China in 1997, because:
a.
our blood links with the former Colonial Power, Britain, make us a continuing reminder of the blot
5.
b.
b.
C.
on China's history brought about by the Opium Wars;
we look different, and are commonly included among "the foreign devils": the experience of the Farmer family in North China in the 1970's (they had an English father but spoke only Chinese and were engaged in manual work; they were persecuted, dispossessed and expelled when they were over 50 years old and never having left the country before) is ready evidence of this danger;
we have always been supportive of the Crown: this is, perhaps, best exemplified by General Maltby's Despatch on the Defence of Hong Kong in December 1941, where he said: "In closing my despatch I wish to pay
especial tribute to the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps.... To quote examples seems almost invidious, but I should like to place on record the superb gallantry of No.3 (Eurasian) Company at Wong Nei Chong Gap...."
a
clause
Accordingly, we appeal to the Lords to insert in the Bill to permit any Hong Kong British Dependent Territory Citizen who has no other Third Country Citizenship or Nationality and who is directly descended from a person who was
a. born in the United Kingdom; or
b. naturalised in the United Kingdom; or
c. settled and had died in the United Kingdom,
to be registrable as a British Citizen.
Not more than 1000 individuals can benefit from this provision.
6.
7.
births in
fact
registration of Although provision for the Hong Kong has existed since 1870, it is an unfortunate that such registrations were by no means universal. Furthermore, several families within our community trace their ancestry of mixed parentage through births in Hong Kong between 1841 and 1870. The loss of personal and official records during the Japanese Occupation add further to the problem. Thus it will be essential for any such registration
to a British Citizen to be recommended
the Secretary of State by the Governor, SO that he can take into account whatever evidence and local knowledge which may be available. The inclusion of 5
above is also intended to ease the difficulty of tracing details of births or naturalisations in certain cases.
as
8.
small
C.
Because the numbers involved
-
we
repeat
our
estimate
under this proposal are not of 1000 individuals,
our case for the grant of based on our British descent, those past their prime, we
families - and, particularly, as British citizenship is wholly and the need to provide for
further request that this provision should within the figure of 50,000 in Clause 1 (1) understand if a ceiling of course, we would administratively for such registrations.
9.
not be brought of the Bill. Of 1000 were set
to
What is the status of The Welfare League? We are the only recognised charity
Hong Kong wholly devoted working for the welfare of the Eurasian or Anglo-Chinese a record of 60 years service. To short history has
been just published. A copy of it is attached for your reference. So we
community here. We
record this service
have decided to
in
have
our
speak
should go by default.
10. If you
up for our community
lest our
case
consider it desirable, a small delegation of our
notice short
London at
members stand ready to come to answer any questions you may have.
Youn
Sincealy
Hnow
EP Ho President
to