172
55
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 891
OF 02101OZ JUNE 93
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
minte how
issued 11/6
RESTRICTED
Mize Briss
Debbie.
back (6
123340
MDHIAN 3083
Colin Mulcahy will ning you
28.4/6 MDF
OP COPY
Q DIST?
Miss Bliss, please copy
saying any
Please
views
сору
4019.
to MyKelly
on X?
or
4031.
also telephone Mr Parkinsa, MVD to say that I would welcome
I would welcome kisviews OUR TELNO 740: ETHNIC MINORITIES in due coures.
blu
1.
One
week i
WE HAVE FURTHER CONSIDERED THE IDEA, SUGGESTED BY LEGCO MEMBERS, THAT A LETTER BE SENT TO THE ETHNIC MINORITIES.
2. WE THINK THIS IS A NON-STARTER.
WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW WHO
ARE IN THIS GROUP AND WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO ISSUE LETTERS NOW TO PEOPLE, ON THE BASIS OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM IN THE FUTURE. WE WOULD ALSO FIND IT DIFFICULT BOTH PRACTICALLY
AND POLITICALLY TO DECIDE WHO WOULD QUALIFY IN THE CASE OF THE MIXED CHINESE-INDIANS OR CHINESE-PAKISTANIS. WE THINK THAT THIS
WOULD INJECT A WHOLE RANGE OF PRACTICAL AND SENSITIVITY PROBLEMS INTO THIS QUESTION, WHICH WE HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID SO FAR.
3.
A SIMPLER ALTERNATIVE, WHICH MIGHT MEET THE GENERAL INTENTION AND SERVE AS A SUFFICIENT GESTURE, MIGHT BE TO INVITE THEM TO REGISTER AT THE BRITISH CONSULATE-GENERAL AFTER 1997. REGISTRATION IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND, ALTHOUGH IT CARRIES NO OBLIGATION, IT MIGHT ACT AS THE REASSURANCE SOUGHT. IT COULD ALSO FIT QUITE NEATLY WITH THE PARALLEL REASSURANCE PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 6 OF OUR TELNO 816.
4.
LEGCO MEMBERS NEXT WEEK MAY AGAIN RAISE THEIR PROPOSAL.
PATTEN
YYYY
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0 8 JUN 1993
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