TNAG-1192-FCO40-1494-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 77

UNCLASSIFIED

3.

Mrelift

OCTOBER 1982

(Hong Kong & General Department

WH 307A)

*

f

189

28TH COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, NASAU,

HONG KONG, NATIONALITY

Noted By Afε m

4 Jayd

87/11

Noted

(coprend

Af1⁄4/11

Sans we

18/11:

wald

Ruck

MTPB

W

meter

reply

R

HKK 340/1

1. During a debate on human rights, one of the Hong Kong delegates, Miss Maria Tam, launched a diatribe against the British Nationality Act 1981. Her complaint was that Hong Kong citizens would hence- forth be described on their passports as "British Dependent Territory Citizens". She said that the people of Hong Kong would prefer to be described as "British Nationals with right of abode in Hong Kong". She argued that if they were described in their passports as British Nationals, they would be entitled to the protection of the British Crown, whereas the proposed formula of British Dependent Territory Citizens did not carry with it any legal entitlement to British protection. She cited in justifica- tion of her view an Opinion by the Attorney-General of Hong Kong dated 8 July, which she circulated to the British delegation.

2. Mr Marten later spoke to Miss Tam about this, and undertook to look into the points she had raised. Miss Tam said that the British Government should already be aware of the Attorney- General's Opinion; and she stressed that Hong Kong citizens were not asking for a right of abode in the UK.

Mr Marten would like to reply personally to Miss Tam in due course. I attach a copy of the Hong Kong Attorney General's Opinion, and of Miss Tam's card.

28 October 1982

cc: PS/Mr Marten

NTD

A.K. Goldsmith

A K Goldsmith

Commonwealth Co-ordination Department

чел

15/11

(27

众

dond

AFMI

Мо Мачевы

MBta pl

- see praming paper for badly), esp (179).

Refer to thèse in submiss

Dp for Mr. Martin pl 29/18

UNCLASSIFIED