CONFIDENTIAL
Phi Kelly
CC
Mi
HO.
99
073422 MDHIAN 1666
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 815
OF 20115OZ MAY 1993
TOP COPY
Q. DIST?
PHASED PROGRAMME FOR REGISTRATION OF BDTCS AS BN (0)S AND FOR ISSUING THEM WITH BN (0) PASSPORTS
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE INTENDING TO CONSULT MINISTERS ON THE ORDER-IN-COUNCIL, IN THE LIGHT OF THE HOSTILE REACTION FROM LEGCO
HERE.
2. WE HAVE BEEN GIVING SOME FURTHER THOUGHT TO TACTICS. WE WONDER WHETHER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO FOLLOW THE SAME APPROACH WHICH WE HAVE SUGGESTED FOR THE ETHNIC MINORITIES. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHEN MEMBERS WILL GO TO LONDON. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WILL DECIDE AT TOMORROW'S HOUSE COMMITTEE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE SAME FOUR MEMBERS (EMILY LAU, JAMES TO, SIMON IP AND RON ARCULLI) ARE PROPOSING TO LEAVE ON THE WEEKEND OF 5 AND 6 JUNE AND THE DATES OF 7-10 JUNE CURRENTLY LOOK THE MOST PROBABLE FOR THEIR VISIT. WE WILL CONFIRM THIS LATER.
3. GIVEN THIS EARLY DATE, WE THINK THAT IT MIGHT HELP ALL ROUND IF :MINISTERS WERE ABLE TO AGREE TO SEE THE LEGCO MEMBERS BEFORE THE BNO ORDER-IN-COUNCIL IS TABLED. THIS WOULD ENABLE MINISTERS TO TAKE LEGCO VIEWS INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE REACHING A DECISION
AND BE SEEN TO BE DOING SO. IT WOULD STILL ENABLE THE ORDER TO BE PASSED BEFORE THE END OF THIS SESSION.
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4. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THEM FROM EXPLOITING THIS DELAY, AND SUBJECT TO YOUR AGREEMENT, WE WOULD PROPOSE TO TELL MEMBERS THAT MINISTERS HAD DECIDED TO AWAIT THEIR VISIT TO LONDON BEFORE TABLING THE ORDER. THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE HANDLED VERY CAREFULLY. WE WOULD HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AS REGARDS TIMING (BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT WANT TO ALLOW THEM TO WAIT AND THEREBY ALLOW THE CLOCK TO RUN OUT ON US). WE WOULD THEREFORE SEEK TO TELL THEM SOMETIME NEXT WEEK, AFTER THEY HAD ANNOUNCED THE TIMING OF THEIR VISIT.
5. WE THINK THAT THIS WOULD DRAW SOME OF THE HEAT. IT WOULD ALSO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WOULD RETURN TO LONDON TO LOBBY PARLIAMENT AGAINST THE ORDER, ALTHOUGH THIS POSSIBILITY CANNOT BE RULED OUT.
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