IUT
CONFIDENTIAL
16
In his reply the Secretary for Security will
www
(a) say, we already have an assurance on freedom of
Declaration and the Basic
movement,
Law; .
in the
Joint
(b) point out that the British Government cannot agree
in advance to
accept all BN(O)s, because some will
be nationals of third countries;
(c) repeat the British Government's assurances including
the new one; and
(d) explain that the three official members will abstain
from voting.
Line to Take
The
Administration
strongly shares LegCo Members'
concern for freedom of movement: assurances for its
maintenance after 1997 are contained in the JD/BL.
The British Government still stands by the 1989
assurance given by Sir Geoffrey Howe for all the people
of Hong Kong in a worst case situation.
The British Government has also given a more specific
assurance, that if the situation was such that an
individual BN(0) were expelled, it would consider his or
her position in the light of all the circumstances.
It is neither necessary nor helpful to press for new
assurances on freedom of movement, which could go no
further than those already provided in the Joint
Declaration, and might indeed serve only to call into question the existing guarantees.
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BSOL 126 398+
(59) 301-HO STOL MOJAL
PCCAL.
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