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WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1984
+GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD CAN NO LONGER KEEP THE IR DOORS OPEN TO NEW ARRIVALS. ECONOMIC, RACIAL AND SOCIAL PRESSURES FROM WITHIN HAVE PRODUCED RESTRICTIVE ATTITUDES, HE SA D.
THE THIRD FREEDOM OF BELONGING, MR THOMAS SAID, LAY IN THE RIGHT OF THOSE WHO BELONG TO A TERRITORY NOT TO BE REMOVED OR DEPORTED FROM IT.
+CITIZENS OF GREECE OR ROME COULD BE BANISHED, BUT THE PRESENT POSITION IS THAT ONCE YOU ARE A CITIZEN THERE CAN BE NO WITHDRAWAL OF FULL RIGHTS.
+WITH ALIENS IT IS ANOTHER MATTER. THERE ARE GRADATIONS BUT EVERY ONE IN HONG KONG CAN BE DEPORTED BY DUE PROCESS OF LAW EXCEPT HONG KONG BELONGERS, HE SAID.
THE FOURTH FREEDOM, HE SAID, WAS CONNECTED WITH THE THIRD IT WAS THE FREEDOM OF THE BELONGER TO RETURN FROM ABROAD AFTER HE HAS LEFT.
+NO ONE CAN BE STRIPPED OF THE IR RIGHT OF ABODE OR BE MADE STATELESS IN THE IR ABSENCE.
MR THOMAS SAID THAT THE FOUR FREEDOMS WERE NOT UNQUAL IF IED BUT THE RESTRICTIONS ON THEM THAT WERE AUTHORISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS WERE HEAVILY CIRCUMSCRIBED: ONLY THOSE WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT NATIONAL SECURITY, PUBLIC ORDER, PUBLIC HEALTH OR MORALS OR THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF OTHERS, AND WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER RIGHTS IN THE COVENANT.
THUS THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF LAWFUL RESTRICTIONS IN HONG KONG, MR THOMAS SAID. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CIVIL DEBTOR, THE TAX DODGER AND THE FUGITIVE CRIMINAL MIGHT BE PREVENTED FROM LEAVING KAI TAK UNDER THIS UMBRELLA.
SPEAKING OF THE SPECIAL POSITION OF BRITISH NATIONALS WHO ENJOY RESIDENT STATUS IN HONG KONG, MR THOMAS SAID THESE RIGHTS OF NATIONAL ITY DEPENDED ON BRITISH LAW AND ULTIMATELY UPON A DECISION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT.
+ I UNDERSTAND THE WISH OF BRITISH NATIONALS TO PRESS THE IR CAUSE UPON HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME OF ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS TERRITORY, AND WOULD LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE IMAGINATIVE PLAN OF MR T.S. LO TO ENCOURAGE GOVERNMENTS OVERSEAS TO BE MORE GENEROUS TO IMMIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG, HE SAID.
MR THOMAS DREW ATTENTION TO A WRITTEN ANSWER GIVEN IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY WHICH SAID THAT QUESTIONS OF NATIONALITY WERE UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG BEING HELD IN PEKING.
/+THE ISSUES