TNAG-0305-FCO40-341-Use-of-Chinese-as-official-language-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 106

學聯

OUR REF:

YOUR REF:

HKFS

hong kong federation of students

RECEIVED IN

REGISTRY No. 51

-3 SEP 1971

HICK 8/

香 港 專上學生聯會

23c waterloo road, kowloon hong kong

九龍窩打 老 道 二 十三 號C

tel. k-888137, 840048, 840049

telegram "HKFSTUDENT"

56

Mr. Anthony Royle,

Foreign and

30th August 1971.

of State,

Parliament Commonwealth Office,

London S.W. 1.

Dear Mr. Royle,

LAST

REF.

NEXT

REF.

Rec. and ^ck. 3/9 IK... Department

for draft reply please

Thank you for your recent letter in which you stated that it might not be convenient for you to comment on the matter of recognition of the Chinese language as an Official Language of Hong Kong before the Government Chinese Language Committee has submitted its Fourth (and Final) Report. Now that the Committee has tabled the Report to the Legislative Council on 18th August, I am writing on behalf of HKFS to reaffirm the demand of HKFS that legislation be enacted to the effect of declaring both Chinese and English Official Languages of Hong Kong, equal in status, with the usage of the Chinese Language defined in specific areas.

HKFS is generally satisfied with the widely-based and practicable recommendations of the Committee in its four reports which proves HKFS confidence in the Committee and its appeal to the public to co-operate with the Committee had The Committee must be been steps in the right direction. congratulated for the excellent performance and hard work in the interest of the public and deserves applause from all sectors of the community. HKFS is particularly glad that all HKFS recommendations as presented to the Chinese Language Committee (except that on a legislative declaration) during two meetings on 27th November 1970 and 16th July 1971 were accepted, and that the Chairman of the Committee, Sir Kenneth Fung Ping-fan had publicly announced that he had been most impressed by representations over the language issue presented by students.

While welcoming the recommendation of the Committee that Government should consider promulgating a firm policy, in a suitable manner, that Chinese and English are official languages of equal status, HKFS notes the Committee has failed to recommend to Government on the 'suitable manner' of declaration, hence amounting to passing the, buckback to Government. In this light HKFS wishes to reiterate its position that legislation be enacted to the effect. government policy statement or administrative statement is inadequate, the reasons being given in the Position Paper presented to the Government Committee on 16th July 1971, a copy of which has already been sent to you.

A mere