*
blog souply
Your Excellency will know that leaders of the Indian community bave, in the past, mnas direct representations on this matter to the British Government without success. in light of the fast approaching date for the transfer of sovereignty, the IR.G. is concerned to know whether this administration will take up the question of dio statelessness of these minorities with the British Government or whether these i prities will once again have to fend for themselves in seeking to persuade the British Government to change its position?
As you will be the last Governor of Hong Kong, the L.R.G. humbly urges Your Excellency to take steps to ensure that these loyal subjects of Her Majesty The Queen are not faced with the same tragedies experienced in the past by ethnic misorities elsewhere when there has been a transfer of sovereignty. The I.R.G. humbly urges Your Excellency to ensure that the problem facing these minorities is expeditiously resolved once and for all.
The LR.G. seeks guarantees from the British Government either by way of the right of abode in the United Kingdom or alternatively, British nationality within some special provision or through an amendment to the British Nationality Scheme.
You: Excellency will appreciate that our proposal for the right of abode in the United Kingdom or British nationality for affected ethnic minorities is unlikely to result in a mass emigration to the United Kingdom by those affected. Those affected tend to be long time residents who see Hong Kong as their home. It is doubtful that they will avail themselves of the right of abode in the United Kingdom if the option of retaining in Hong Kong, post 1997, continues to remalu viable.
Based on feedback from our communię, we are not convinced that the numbers who would seek to benefit from any scheme would be as large as that reported in → the press previously. The LR.G. would welcome any information from the
Government as to the specific number of people affected and the means by which. such murabers have been calculated,
We are aware that the British Government has raised the issue of these ethnic aaluurities with the Chinese Government both before and after the 1984 Joint Declaration but the apparent lack of results is a cause for substanti. concern for --such minorities. Chinese laws on nationality are clear in that the acquisition of Chinese cadouality is based on the principle of jus sanguinis. It is thus clear that many of these ethnic minorities will not automatically qualify for Chinese nationality,