TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 74

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TRANSLATION

1416/E81

Mrs. Margaret Thatcher,

Prime Minister,

U.K.

WONG Tin-fat

Flat 412,

4/f., Block 1,

San Fat Estate,

Castle Peak, N.T.

Hong Kong.

23rd June 1981

Dear Madam,

An appeal to urge the British Government

to protect the interests of Hong Kong Citizens

I am a Chinese of British nationality born in Hong Kong.

I have always believed in law and order and have valued freedom, equality and fraternity. Regrettably, however, the new British Nationality Bill will negate all this. This Bill clearly aims to classify British subjects into different categories and ranks according to different territories. Hence, the status, rights and obligation of each category would differ. Since Hong Kong is part of the Britishterritory, the people of Hong Kong (i.e. people born or naturalised in Hong Kong) are clearly nationals of the United Kingdom and are subjects of Her Majesty the Queen to whom we owe our allegiance. Our status and rights should be equal to those of the British citizens irrespective of territories. However, to our disappointment, the above Bill classifies the people of Hong Kong as "Citizens of the British dependent territories" as distinct from "British citizens". However ingenious the device, the arguments are irrational and the people of Hong Kong have been downgraded to "second-class