XN000022-1989-07-05 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1989

ARGUMENTS AGAINST GIVING RIGHT OF ABODE FLAWED: CS

THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE GRANTING RIGHT OF ABODE TO BRITI NATIONALS IN HONG KONG ARE FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED, THE CHIEF SECRETAR'. SIR DAVID FORD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT ON THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE FOREI AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT, SIR DAVID SAID IT MUST BE RELEVANT TO SEE HOW OTHER SOVEREIGN POWERS IN SIMILAR POSITIONS TO THE UK HAD REGARDI D THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO THEIR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS.

"PORTUGAL, A SMALL COUNTRY WITH A POPULATION OF 10 MILLION HAS, WE ARE TOLD, PROVIDED FOR CITIZENSHIP NOT ONLY FOR 100,000 OF ITS CITIZENS IN MACAU BUT ALSO FOR OVER THREE MILLION OF ITS CITIZENS IN FORNER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES. FRANCE HAS DONE THE SAME WITH 115 OVERSEAS TERRITORIES, THE CHIEF SECRETARY NOTED,

"CLEARLY THESE TWO NATIONS TOOK A VIEW THAT THEIR OBLIGATIONS OUTWEIGHED THE RISK. HE ADDED.

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED ITS OBLIGATIONS TO CITIZENS ELSEWHERE. NOT ONLY IN THE FALKLANDS AND GIBRALTAR WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE SMALL BUT ALSO IN THE CASE OF SOUTIE AFRICA WHERE THERE WERE ESTIMATED TO BE ONE MILLION PEOPLE WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

**IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ARGUE. THAT SOUTH AFRICA IS UNSTABLE THAN HONG KONG," HE SAID.

LESS

THE

SIR DAVID SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO SEE BRITISH GOVERNMENT GRANT THE RIGHT OF ABODE TO ALL HONG KONG BRITI DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS.

"THIS WOULD DO MUCH TO REASSURE OUR PEOPLE THAT THEY SHOULD REMAIN HERE AND CONTINUE TO WORK FOR A PROSPEROUS AND STABLE HONG KONG,

HE SAID.

EXAMINING THE CASE PUT FORWARD BY THE FAC FOR NOT GRANTING THE RIGHT OF ABODE TO HONG KONG CITIZENS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID: "IN A NUTSHELL IT IS THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE RISK OF ALL 3.2 MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE GOING TO SETTLE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

"INDEED, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WENT FURTHER BY SUGGESTING THAT THE NUMBER WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY IN EXCESS OF THE 3.2 MILLION FREQUENTLY MENTIONED," HE SAID.

"OF COURSE A DECISION OF THIS NATURE IS NOT AN EASY ONE FOR ANY POLITICIAN TO TAKE, HE ADDED.

"

SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS A MATTER OF JUDGEMENT AND OF BALANCING THE OBLIGATION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AGAINST THE RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE TO CARRY THE NECESSARY CHANGES IN LEGISLATION.

THROUGH

PARLIAMENT

/"I BELIEVE