18
M. (Cont'd)
Whose who were married to BCS resident in Hong Kong after
the assurance was given may also apply to the Immigration
Department for letters of assurance, So far
718 letters have been issued. If wives and widows of
ex-servicemen were given full citizenship, this group
would have some claim to upgraded, equal treatment. The
Home Office would be unlikely to wish to unravel so easily
a recent agreement.
Other Implications/Considerations
11.
these ladies.
The LegCo Sub-committee on Nationality has
pressed us Lo do more for both the ethnic minorities and
There is reason to believe, especially from
the content of the UDHк members speeches in the LegCo
debate on 18 November on ethnic minorities, that the
ultimate objective of Legco members' support for these two
cases is not exclusively for special treatment for them,
but a fool in the door to press, once again, for full
BCship for all Hong Kong BDTCS. Although the Hong Kong
Government view has been favourable to this, we have
accepted, and so have must Hong Kong people, that the issue
is settled. It might not be wise to revive it in this way
by marginal changes which serve little apparent really
useful purpose, even for these involved.
/Conclusion.