WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1985
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+THAT LAW (THAT IS, BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW) WAS MORALLY INDEFENSIBLE AND HAS INDEED LEFT MANY CHINESE BDTC'S IN HONG KONG FEEL ING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SOLD OUT; BUT IT WOULD BE DOUBLY UNJUST IF THE IR SITUATION WERE TO BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO ACT TO RELIEVE THE PLIGHT OF AN EVEN MORE DISADVANTAGED GROUP.+
ANOTHER PASSAGE READ1 + IT MUST BE AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY THAT THE BRITISH INVENTION OF ONE COUNTRY, SIX CITIZENSHIPS' DOES NOT LEAVE ANYONE WITH ONE CITIZENSHIP, NO COUNTRY'.+
THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THE FEW THOUSAND BRITISH NATIONALS IN HONG KONG WHO DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER NATIONALITY AND ARE EFFECTIVELY STATELESS SHOULD THEREFORE BE GRANTED FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP,+
MR LEE SAID HE ALSO AGREED WITH MR SWAINE IN HIS PLEA FOR THE 400 OR SO EX-SERVICEMEN IN HONG KONG,
HE POINTED OUT THAT EVERY YEAR ON REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LINE UP BEFORE THE CENOTAPH AND PAY RESPECT TO THE GLORIOUS DEAD+, MANY OF WHOM WERE THE DECEASED COLLEAGUES OF THESE 400 EX-SERVICEMEN.
+17 IS OF COURSE RIGHT AND PROPER THAT WE SHOULD HONOUR OUR DEAD WARRIORS; BUT SHOULD WE NOT ALSO HONOUR THE LIVING?
+HAS GREAT BRITAIN SHRUNK TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT SHE CANNOT EVEN ALLOW SUCH A SMALL NUMBER OF EX-SERVICEMEN TO LIVE THERE, IF THEY SHOULD WISH TO DO SO?+ MR LEE ASKED.
ACTION NEEDED TO NEGOTIATE PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE
***
A CALL WAS MADE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY) TO PROVIDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AN ACTION PLAN TO NEGOTIATE INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT, AND MAKE PROGRESS REPORTS TO THE PUBLIC AT REGULAR INTERVALS.
IT CAME FROM THE HON DESMOND LEE YU-TAI DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
DESPITE VERBAL ASSURANCE BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THAT THEY WOULD DO THIER BEST, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANTED TO KNOW HOW THEY CARRIED OUT NEGOTIATIONS, THE ACTUAL PROGRESS AND TIMESCALE, MR LEE SAID.
+THIS ASSURANCE BY WORD OF MOUTH IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE PRAGMATIC AND WILL DEMAND ACTION, + HE STRESSED.
/MR LEE
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