RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER FCO
TELELETTER NFR
RESTRICTED
250/1
нис он
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 JUN 1993
144
122423
MDTTAN 3780
2
OF 01090OZ
JUNE 93
DESK CER
INDEX
PA
AND TO TELELETTER PEKING
REGISTRY Action Taken
i Bute M
CORRECTED VERSION: PARA 3 LINE 2.
PARA 3 LINE 7.
PARA NUMBERS.
PARA 5 LINE 13
PARA 5 LINE 19.
ERRORS REGRETTED.
FROM: PETER LAI, DSCA
FOR: MR P F RICKETTS, HKD, FCO COPIED TO: SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING
WILLIAM EHRMAN ESQ., PA
STATUS OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS AFTER 1997.
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER TO MICHAEL SZE OF 12 MAY
INFORMING US OF THE COUNTESS OF LIMERICK'S RECENT APPROACH TO YOU CONCERNING THE STATUS OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS AFTER 1997.
2. THE HONG KONG RED CROSS (HKRC) IS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL, NON- PROFIT MAKING SUBVENTED ORGANISATION INCORPORATED IN HONG KONG UNDER THE BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY (HONG KONG BRANCH) ORDINANCE (CAP 1129). IT WAS ORIGINALLY SET UP AS A LOCAL BRANCH OF THE
BRITISH RED CROSS AND WAS UPGRADED TO A CENTRAL COUNCIL BRANCH IN
1990, WHICH GAVE IT THE SAME STATUS AS BRANCHES IN SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE ISLE OF MAN. THE HKRC PLAYS AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN PROVIDING VALUABLE MEDICAL AND WELFARE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICES, CARE FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, NATURAL DISASTER RELIEF, ETC. WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THE CONTINUATION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF
THE HKRC IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
3. WE DO NOT ENVISAGE ANY DIFFICULTIES IN THIS REGARD. AS YOU
SAY, BASIC LAW 144 148 AND 149 SPECIFICALLY FORESEE THE CONTINUED FUNCTIONING OF NGOS LIKE THE RED CROSS. GIVEN THAT THE
HKRC IS ALSO NOT/NOT AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION IN THE LEGAL SENSE OF THAT TERM, WE DOUBT IF WE WOULD NEED TO CONSULT THE
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