WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4,
1985
13
CONCERN OVER ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORT
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THE NEW BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME ACCEPTANCE AS THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZEN (BDTC) PASSPORT.
THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN VOICED HIS CONCERN OVER THIS AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID HE PRESUMED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO LET A PERSON HOLDING A BN(0) PASSPORT AFTER JULY 1, 1987 RETAIN HIS BDTC STATUS UNTIL JUNE 30, 1997, UNLESS HE RENOUNCED IT OR WAS DEPRIVED OF THAT STATUS BEFORE THAT DATE.
+WE IN HONG KONG ARE NATURALLY VERY CONCERNED AS TO WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CONTINUOUSLY ENSURE THAT THE BN(0) PASSPORT WILL BE GIVEN EQUAL STATUS AND RECOGNITION BY COMMONWEALTH AND OTHER COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES AS ARE CURRENTLY GIVEN TO BDTC PASSPORTS HELD BY HONG KONG PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.
MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SEEK ASSURANCE THAT SHOULD A BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDER BE DISSATISFIED WITH THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THAT PASSPORT, HE WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE HIS BN(0) PASSPORT BACK FOR A BDTC PASSPORT, WITH EXPIRY DATE AS OF JUNE 30, 1997.
HE ALSO CALLED FOR CLARIFICATION AS TO WHETHER THE VALIDITY OF A BN(0) PASSPORT WOULD BE FOR 10 YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF ISSUANCE OR WOULD IT BE ONLY UP TO JUNE 30, 1997.
+ IF THE VALIDITY DATE IS BEYOND 1997, WOULD THE HOLDER STILL BE REQUIRED TO REGISTER FOR BN(0) STATUS BEFORE JUNE 30, 1997?+ HE ASKED.
PROPER STATUS FOR NON-CHINESE AFTER 1997 URGED
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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MUST ACCORD PROPER STATUS TO THE NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATION OF HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR THE INDIANS, WHO ARE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZENS (BDTCS), AFTER 1997.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON THOMAS CLYDESDALE DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY ORDER 1986.
/HE SAID