XN000022-1988-01-20 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1988

THE MEANING OF INDIGENOUS VILLAGER THUS RESTED HEAVILY ON THE MEANING OF "ESTABLISHED VILLAGE" WHICH THE BILL DEFINED AS A VILLAGE ESTABLISHED UNDER A BLOCK LEASE GRANTED

GOVERNOR.

F

BY, OR ON BEHALF OF. THE

THIS CREATED MUCH CONCERN AMONG SOME NEW TERRITORIES WHO POINTED OUT THAT NEITHER HAD THE JOINT DECLARATION MADE TO THE BLOCK CROWN LEASE, NOR HAD THE GOVERNMENT IN RECOGNISED INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES ON THE THE BLOCK CROWN LEASE, MR CHEUNG NOTED.

VILLAGERS

REFERENCE

THE PAST

BASIS OF

"BY MAKING THE BLOCK CROWN LEASE THE ONLY EVIDENCE OF THE STATUS OF PRE-1898 VILLAGES, THE BILL LEAVES NO OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE VILLAGERS WHO WISH TO ESTABLISH THEIR INDIGENOUS STATUS ON EVIDENCE OTHER THAN THE BLOCK CROWN LEASE, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO ANOTHER POINT IN THE BILL, MR CHEUNG POINTED OUT THÁT A GREAT NUMBER OF PROPERTY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HELD BY 'T'SOS' AND 'T'ONGS', SHOULD, IN THE SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATTON, BE ELIGIBLE FOR RENT CONCESSION AFTER 1997, BUT WHICH DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE COME UNDER THE LETTERS OF THE BILL.

"WE HAVE CAREFULLY EXAMINED THE CASE FOR 'T'SOS" AND 'T'ONGS' AND WE ARE GLAD THAT AFTER LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAD AGREED THAT THE BILL SHOULD BE AMENDED, HE SAID.

MR CHEUNG SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED A COMMITTEE STAGR AMENDMENT STATING THAT RENT CONCESSIONS WOULD BB APPLICABLE TO 'T'8OS' AND

'T'ONGS' WHOSE MEMBERS WERE ENTIRELY INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS.

HOWEVER, THE SAME PRIVILEGE WOULD NOT BE

1

APPLICABLE TO THOSE AND T'ONGS' WHOSE MEMBERSHIP DID NOT CONSIST ENTIRELY OF INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS.

השה 'ידי

BILL GIVES RENT CONCESSION TO 'T'SOS' AND 'T'ONGS '

THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRATIAM BARNES, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SUPPORTED A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASES (EXTENSION) BILL 1987 TO INCLUDE THE EXTENSION OF THE RENT CONCESSION PROVIDED FOR IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION TO A

TSO' OR 'T'ONG',

+

MR BARNES SAID IN THE DEBATE OF THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE T'SO' OR 'T'ONG' IN QUESTION MUST BE SUCH UNDER CHINESE CUSTOM, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF WHICH 30, 1984, INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS.

RECOGNISED AS

WERE ON JUNE

/ON THE