CONFIDENTIAL
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NATIONALITY BILL
4.
The Hong Kong Government, and particularly the Unofficial
Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, have been
concerned, since the publication of the original Green Paper, about
the effect of the proposed Nationality Bill on Hong Kong. The Bill
has been interpreted in Hong Kong as an attempt to distance the
United Kingdom from Hong Kong and evade the United Kingdom's
responsibility for its population.
5.
Amendments have been tabled that will permit the registration
of Citizens of British Dependent Territories (CBDTs) who have had
5 years' legal residence in the United Kingdom as British Citizens,
and will permit the Home Secretary to register as a British Citizen
a person who has been in Crown Service under the Government of a
Dependent Territory or who has been appointed by or on behalf of
the Crown to certain forms of service in a dependency. These amend-
ments go some way to allaying Hong Kong's fears.
however, remains a problem.
Nomenclature,
Unofficials have put a case for using
the titles 'British Subject: CBDT (Hong Kong)' or 'British National
(Hong Kong Citizen)'. Neither is possible as they offend against
the spirit of the Bill. The Secretary of State discussed this with
Unofficials during his visit.
THE MACLENNAN AFFAIR
6. Police Inspector MacLennan was to have been arrested in January
1980 on charges related to homosexual acts (illegal in Hong Kong).
The arresting party found MacLennan locked in his bedroom dead from
5 pistol wounds. Despite overwhelming evidence that MacLennan
had committed suicide, the Coroner's Jury returned an open verdict.
This fuelled rumours that he had been murdered to protect senior
government servants who were also homosexuals. Following increasing
CONFIDENTIAL
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