XN000022-1993-05-06 — Page 4

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1993

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOT AGREE THAT THE PHASED PROGRAMME DEPRIVED BOTO'S OF ANY RIGHTS; ADDING THAT IT WAS ONLY THE BDTC PASSPORT THAT REGISTERED BN(0)'S HAD TO GIVE UP AND THAT THEY RETAINED ALL OTHER RIGHTS AS BOTC'S UNTIL JUNE 30, 1997.

MR WOODHOUSE EXPLAINED THAT THE BN(0) PASSPORT WAS EQUIVALENT ΤΟ THE BDTC PASSPORT IN ALL BUT ONE MINOR RESPECT; AUSTRIA ALLOWED BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS VISA-FREE ENTRY, BUT NOT BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS.

NO MOMENT

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"BDTC'S STAND TO LOSE NOTHING IN HAVING TO APPLY EARLY FOR REGISTRATION AS A BN(0) AND TO RECEIVE THE BN(0) PASSPORT. THERE IS VALID REASON FOR WANTING TO HOLD THE BDTC PASSPORT TO THE LAST

C

HE SAID,

"TO ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, THE TWO PASSPORTS ARE THE SAME.'

THE UNDERSTANDING REACHED BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS IN THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA ANNEXED TO THE JOINT DECLARATION STATES THAT ALL BDTCS WHO WISH TO USE BN(0) PASSPORTS AFTER JUNE 30, 1997 HAVE TO BE IN POSSESSION OF THE PASSPORT BY THAT DATE.

THE TERMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM MEMORANDUM LINK RETENTION OF THE BN (O) STATUS POST 1997 TO THE HOLDING OF A BN (0) PASSPORT.

AND

"IT IS LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE TO ALLOW BN (O)'S TO APPLY REGISTER AND TO COLLECT THEIR PASSPORTS SOME TIME NEARER TO JUNE 30 1997, BUT THIS WOULD CREATE SERIOUS PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES.

"WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO INTRODUCE ANOTHER PHASED PROGRAMME FOR COLLECTION OR LEAVE REGISTERED BN (0) FREE ΤΟ COLLECT THEIR PASSPORTS AT ANY TIME BEFORE JULY 1

1997."

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MR WOODHOUSE SAID, THEREFORE, THAT THE REGISTRATION OF STATUS SHOULD NOT BE SEPARATED FORM THE ISSUING OF THE PASSPORT AND BOTH HAVE TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE JULY 1, 1997.

"IT WAS ALWAYS THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTENTION WHEN DRAFTING THE HONG KONG ACT 1985 TO HAVE CUT-OFF DATES FOR BN(0) REGISTRATION, CUT- OFF DATES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986 SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT THEN IMMINENTLY NECESSARY, MR WOODHOUSE SAID.

"

HE FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT IF NOTHING WAS DONE, IT WAS LIKELY THAT MANY BDTCS WHOSE PASSPORTS EXPIRED IN 1996 OR 1997 AND MANY WHO DID NOT HOLD A PASSPORT NOW WOULD NOT APPLY FOR A BN (0) PASSPORT UNTI1. THE LAST MINUTE.

..

"THE PHASED PROGRAMME IS SIMPLY A MEANS OF PREVENTING THIS AND ENSURING THAT ALL BDTCS WHO WISH TO BECOME BN(0)S CAN ALL DO 8o,' HE SAID.

BEFORE AND DURING THE CONVERSION EXERCISE, INTENSIVE PUBLICITY WILL BE ORGANISED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT DETAILS OF THE CUT-OFF DATES FOR BN (0) REGISTRATION AND OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CALL-UP TIMETABLE.

RADIO

PUBLICITY WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION LEAFLETS, BOOKLETS, TV AND APIS (ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST), POSTERS, PRESS ADVERTISEMENTS, AND TELEPHONE RECORDED MESSAGES.

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