XN000022-1985-12-04 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1985

HE SAID THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE SHOULD, AFTER JUNE 30, 1997, BE ACCORDED FULL BRITISH NATIONAL STATUS WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, RETENTION OF THEIR BDTC STATUS WITH RIGHT OF ABODE IN A BRITISH TERRITORY.

MR CLYDESDALE SAID OF THE 10 000 NON-CHINESE BDTCS, SOME 6 000 WERE INDIANS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM WERE FROM FAMILIES WHICH WERE SETTLED HERE BEFORE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE IN 1947.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE INDIAN COMMUNITY HAD CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE HONG KONG ECONOMY OVER A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME. AND THAT THEY WERE AT PRESENT RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST 10 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE BY VALUE AND FOR A VERY MUCH LARGER PERCENTAGE OF ITS TRADE WITH CERTAIN COUNTRIES.

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IN ADDITION, A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE ORIGINAL INDIAN IMMIGRANTS WERE BROUGHT TO HONG KONG BY THE IR BRITISH EMPLOYERS.

+THEY CAME FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS AND NOT SOLELY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS. THEY CAME, AMONG OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE HONG KONG WAS BRITISH AND BECAUSE THEY CLEARLY BELIEVED IT WOULD REMAIN SO, HE NOTED.

THEREFORE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND INDEED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, COULD NOT EVADE DIRECT MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS GROUP OF CITIZENS AND MUST RESPECT THEIR WISH TO REMAIN BRITISH, HE STRESSED.

+THEY WERE AFTER ALL BRITISH SUBJECTS BEFORE THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1948 AND, AFTER THAT ACT, WERE IN MANY CASES REQUIRED TO RE-AFFIRM ALLEGIANCE TO BRITAIN,+ HE ADDED.

MR CLYDESDALE SAID THAT AFTER 1997, NON-CHINESE BDTCS WOULD BECOME BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS) OR BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS IF THEY HAD FAILED FOR ANY REASON TO APPLY FOR BN(0) STATUS, BUT THE PASSPORTS THEY WERE ENTITLED TO HAVE WOULD BE NO MORE THAN A TRAVEL DOCUMENT.

TO HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG, THEY HAD TO OBTAIN A HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD AND IN DOING SO, THEY HAD TO MEET CERTAIN ELIGIBILITY RULES AS WELL AS TO SHOW HONG KONG WAS THE IR PLACE OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE+ THE PRECISE MEANING OF WHICH WAS NOT YET CLEAR, HE SAID.

+CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF NON-CHINESE BDTCS BORN AFTER JUNE 30, 1997 WILL ACQUIRE BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZEN STATUS.

+CHILDREN OF SUCH GRANDCHILDREN WILL, HOWEVER, BE STATELESS WHILE TO FURTHER COMPLICATE THE ISSUE, CHILDREN OF SUCH STATELESS CITIZENS IF BORN IN CHINA WILL BE CHINESE UNDER THE CHINESE NATIONALITY LAW, MR CLYDESDALE SAID.

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