CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 241/4
C4
161571
MDHOAN 9739
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 14010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 485
OF 131735Z MARCH 91
23
27 MAR ON
TOP COM/ Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 786: VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS: AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE
1.
WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THESE FURTHER EXPLANATIONS AND THE COMMENT IN PARAGRAPH 1(A) OF TUR.
2. WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY BEHIND YOUR PROPOSALS (PARA 2 OF TUR). IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD CLARIFY SOME POINTS ON ·
TIMING:
A) WE ACCEPT YOUR REASONS FOR WANTING TO ENACT THESE
AMENDMENTS BEFORE THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WHAT IS YOUR LATEST
ESIMATE FOR THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND HOW
LONG DO YOU EXPECT IT TO LAST. WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED DATE
FOR THE BILL OF RIGHTS PASSING INTO LAW.
B) WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE AMENDMENTS BEING INTRODUCED
INTO LEGCO (THIS DATE IS SIGNIFICANT SINCE WE ASSUME THAT THAT IS WHEN THE AMENDMENTS WILL BECOME PUBLIC. IF AT ALL
POSSIBLE WE WANT TO AVOID THIS BEING VERY SHORTLY AFTER OUR PRESENTATION OF THE THIRD PERIODIC REPORT).
C) IS THE BILL OF RIGHTS THE ONLY IMPERATIVE OR DO YOU WANT IN ANY CASE TO ENACT THE AMENDMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF TIMING OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS WERE TO SLIP, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD YOU BE PREPARED TO LET THE AMENDMENT SLIP ALSO?
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS DESKBY 14090OZ. WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL HELP US TO MAKE A STRONG CASE TO MINISTERS FOR THE TIMING AND CONTENT OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
HURD
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