TNAG-0305-FCO40-341-Use-of-Chinese-as-official-language-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 90

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S. C. M. P.

-9 SEP 1971

Students, officials set talks on use of Chinese language

Student representatives and officials of the Secretariat for Home Affairs will meet tomorrow to exchange views on the question of making Chinese an official language with equal status to English.

The Language Action Committee of the Hongkong Federation of Students has been strongly pressing for legislation to declare both Chinese and English official languages, equal in status, with the usage of Chinese defined in specific areas.

The Legal Sub-Committee of the HKFS Language Study Committee has drafted a piece of legislation to this effect.

This draft, legislation will also be, tabled at tomorrow's: meeting for discussion, said the Chairman of the HKFS

Language Action Committee, Mr James Chui, who will head the student representatives at the meeting.

'le said the students would also like to learn at the meeting Government's reaction to the recommendations made by the Government-appointed Chinese Language Committee, and how and when they would be implemented.

A legislative declaration would guarantee the usage and the Hongkong people would then have the right to demand usage of the Chinese language.

Mr Chui noted that while the Government Chinese Language Committee was "technically dissolved" after completion of its fourth and final report. IIKFS was committed further negotiations with Government on this subject.

He addeu that the current language campaign had significantly marked the participation by Hongkong's younger generation in iocal affairs.

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Any further delay in proclaiming Chinese an official language would only lead to a loss of confidence in the authorities and would only invite trouble from all parties, concerned.

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