TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 69

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TELEGRAM NUMBER 221 OF 28 JANUARY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

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INFO ROUTINE PEKING, HK GOVT REPS WASHINGTON, CG NEWEYORKED IN AIRY BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG BILL/NATIONALITY TITLE: PRESS REACTIONS.

SUMMARY:

28 JAN 1983

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1. COVERAGE OF THE HK BILL AND THE NATIONALITY TITLE WAS MODERATE

TODAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND. THE VIEWS OF VARIOUS UMELCO MEMBERS

WERE THE MOST PROMINENT STORY.

NEWS COVERAGE:

2. UMELCO: A STATEMENT BY UMELCO WELCOMING THE NEW NATIONALITY

TITLE WAS WELL COVERED ON SATURDAY. SIR S.Y. CHUNG WELCOMED THE

POSTPONEMENT OF THE THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL BECAUSE IT

ALLOWED HK PEOPLE MORE TIME TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. HE SAID THAT

UMELCO WOULD MONITOR PUBLIC REACTIONS. SELINA CHOW AND PETER POON

AGREED WITH SUGGESTIONS THAT THE NEW PASSPORT SHOULD CARRY DETAILS

FO HK PEOPLE'S ID CARD NUMBER AND RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.

MARIA TAM WAS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT UMELCO WOULD NOT SEND A

DELEGATION TO THE COMMONS THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL, BUT WOULD

SEND A DELEGATION TO LONDON FOR THE LORDS DEBATE. SHE SAID THAT

LEGCO WOULD DEBATE THE HONG KONG BILL. ON WEDNESDAY. SHE ALSO

SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO EXPLAIN THE

NEW NATIONALITY TITLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND CLAIMED THAT GOVERNMENT

WOULD MAKE A DECISION SOON'' ON COLLECTING PUBLIC OPINION ON THE

TITLE.

3. GOVERNMENT SPOKESMEN: SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS SAID THAT THE

GOVERNMENT HAD NO PLANS FOR A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT EXERCISE, BUT WOULD COLLECT PUBLIC OPINION ON WELL-ESTABLISHED CHANNELS AND

WOULD FORWARD VIEWS TO THE FCO. A SECURITY BRANCH SPOKESWOMAN

SAID THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS WOULD NOT (NOT) NEED TO CARRY THEIR ID CARDS WHEN TRAVELLING ABROAD. SHE SAID THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN

HONG KONG WOULD BE STATED IN THE NEW PASSPORTS. SHE ADDED THAT

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BDTC STATUS AND BNO STATUS WAS

THAT THE LATTER WAS NOT TRANSMISSIBLE. SHE SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD DISCUSS VISA EXEMPTION AGREEMENTS WITH THIRD

COUNTRIES WHEN THE NEW TITLE WAS APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT.

4. POSTPONEMENT: WAH KIU YAT PO (INDEPENDENT) REPORTED THAT THE THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL WOULD NOW TAKE PLACE ON 11 FEBRUARY. TA KUNG PAO REPORTED THAT THE NEW DATE WAS YET TO BE FIXED. THE POSTPONEMENT WAS WELCOMED BY AN URBAN COUNCILLOR AS OFFERING HK PEOPLE MORE TIME TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.

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