6.4
6.5
6.6
The grant of full British citizenship to the affected ethnic minorities in Hong
Kong would not unfairly lead other BOC passport holders in other parts of the
world to want to review their position (as the British Government claims) as the
two situations are distinguishable :
i)
ii)
at the time of the transfer of sovereignty, East African Asians were
entitled to retain their United Kingdom citizenship with unrestricted right
of entry into the United Kingdom. This right is being denied to the
affected ethnic minorities in Hong Kong; and
at the time of the transfer of sovereignty, the East African Asians were
entitled as a matter of right to apply for local citizenship. This right is
also denied to the affected ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
The fact that the East African Asians holding British passports were expelled
from East Africa is not relevant to the fulfillment of the United Kingdom's
moral and legal responsibility to the affected minorities of Hong Kong which
must be judged at the time of the transfer of sovereignty.
Furthermore, unlike those East African Asians who still desire full British
citizenship so as to emigrate to the United Kingdom, the affected minorities of
Hong Kong seek full British citizenship so as to enable them to remain in Hong
Kong after 1997.
7.
The British Government's position
7.1 This position was repeated in the Legislative Council on 18th November, 1992
during a motion debate in which the Acting Secretary for Security said that the
affected minorities were adequately protected under the Joint Declaration and
Basic Law which guaranteed the right of abode in the future SAR. Further that
the BOC status is transmissible for two generations. Lastly that the British
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