XN000022-1985-12-04 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1985

MR LEE SAID THE BN(0) PASSPORT MIGHT BE REGARDED AS A *TRAVEL DOCUMENT, NOT A NATIONAL ITY PAPER+, BUT MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACQUIRE THE DOCUMENT FOR UTILITY REASONS, IF CONVENIENCE OF TRAVEL COULD BE ENSURED.

HE FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT IF THE BN(0) WAS TO SERVE ANY PURPOSE, IT MUST ENJOY THE SAME STATUS AS THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN PASSPORT (BDTC), WHICH ENTITLED VISA EXEMPTION FOR ENTRY TO OVER 70 COUNTRIES.

MR LEE SUGGESTED THAT COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ACQUIRE THE BN(0) AT THE EARLIEST STAGE AND TO TRY IT OUT IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, SO AS TO ESTABLISH ACCEPTABILITY.

HE ALSO CALLED UPON BRITAIN TO TAKE THE LEAD IN RECOGNISING THE BDTC AND BN(0) PASSPORTS SHE ISSUED.

HE SAID IT WAS NORMAL PRACTICE FOR HONG KONG BDTC'S TO APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ENTRY FOR TRAVEL TO BRITAIN WHILE NON-BRITISH NATIONALS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ENJOYED AN ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO ENTER,

+ IF BRITAIN IS WILLING TO RECTIFY THIS DISPARITY, ENTIRELY WITHIN HER AUTHORITY TO DO SO, HE ADDED.

IT IS

MR LEE SA ID THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG'S COMMUNITY DEPENDED ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, AND FREE MOVEMENT AND TRAVEL WERE ESSENTIAL.

HE THEREFORE ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION TO ENSURE THAT FREEDOM OF TRAVEL WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

MEANWHILE, MR LEE SAID, IF BRITAIN CONSIDERED SUPPORT

FOR THE BN(0) WAS DESIRABLE, THE TWO MILLION HONG KONG BELONGERS WHO WERE HOLDERS OF CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY (CI), A TRAVEL PAPER THAT DID NOT CARRY A NATIONALITY, SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR BDTC STATUS, WHICH WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSFER TO BN(0).

+MANY CI HOLDERS HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MANY YEARS AND ESTABLISHED A CAREER. THEY ARE NO LESS OF A HONG KONG BELONGER THAN A BDTC, LATTER, + HE SAID.

BUT CANNOT CLAIM A NATIONALITY LIKE THE

TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE, HE PROPOSED THAT THE CURRENT NATURAL ISATION PROCEDURES BE SIMPLIFIED AND EXPEDITED.

MR LEE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES, AMONG WHICH THE INDIAN COMMUNITY WAS THE LARGEST GROUP.

HE SAID HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE INDIANS IN HONG KONG HAD STAYED HERE FOR MANY YEARS, INTERGRATED THEMSELVES WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND REGARDED HONG KONG AS THE IR PERMANENT HOME, AND MANY OF THEM WERE HOLDING BDTC PASSPORTS.

/HOWEVER, HE