CONFIDENTIAL
Loopied to Chris Kelly .51
151024
MDLIAN 6231
нко забр
RF
13 APR 1993
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 566
OF 08111OZ APRIL 93
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PHASED PROGRAMME FOR REGISTERING BDTCS AS BN (0)S AND FOR ISSUING THEM WITH BN (0) PASSPORTS.
SUMMARY
1.
THE LEGCO NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE HAS QUERIED THIS EXERCISE, HAVING APPARENTLY ACCEPTED IT AS ITS PREVIOUS MEETING. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR HELP IN PROVIDING ANSWERS TO THE OPTIONS THEY HAVE PROPOSED, IN TIME FOR THEIR NEXT MEETING ON 19 APRIL.
BACKGROUND
2 =
THERE WAS ONLY A LOW KEY REACTION THE FIRST TIME THIS PROGRAMME WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESS RELEASE WE ISSUED IN DECEMBER TO COVER A LEAK FROM THE EXCO MEETING (OUR TELNO 2945 REFERS). MORE RECENTLY, LEGCO MEMBERS ALSO ASKED STRAIGHTFORWARD, RESOURCE-RELATED QUESTIONS IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, SINCE PROVISION FOR THE PROGRAMME WAS INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATES. WHEN IT WAS FIRST RAISED AT THE NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE ON 11 MARCH, THERE WAS NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE: INDEED THERE WAS WELCOME RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM RESULTING FROM A LAST-MINUTE RUSH.
3. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LEGCO NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE ASKED FOR DETAILS OF THE BN (0) CONVERSION SCHEME AT THEIR MEETING ON 31 MARCH. EMILY LAU LED THE CHARGE, WHICH CAME AS A SURPRISE, THAT WE WERE:
(A) TAKING AWAY NATIONALITY RIGHTS BEFORE 1997: AND (B) ACTING SECRETLY TO DO SO, BEHIND LEGCO'S BACK.
DETAIL
THE NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE ARGUE THAT, IF THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEM, THEN IT SHOULD HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE SOLUTION. HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE WHEN THEY WANT TO APPLY FOR A BN (0) PASSPORT THIS IS A SENSITIVE PERSONAL
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