TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 223

18 JUL 1985

Council of Hongkong Indian Associations

C/O TST P.O. BOX 95106

HONG KONG

Cable: "INDCOUNCIL"

President:

MR. H.N. HARILELA, OBE JP

July 12, 1985

The Rt. Hon. James Prior, M.P.

G.E.C.

1 Stanhope Gate London W1

GENERAL R

RECEIVED

30 AUG 1985

Vice President:

MR. K. SITAL, JP

Hon. Secretary:

MR. K.B. RATHI

Hon. Treasurer:

MR. J. MULCHANI

Council Members:

MR. S.A. AMEEN MR. H. T. BARMA, JP MRS. KAMLA KAPAHI

MR. G.B. MAHBUBANI

Member Associations:

THE INDIAN CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE

THE INDIA ASSOCIATION

THE HINDU ASSOCIATION

THE INDIA CLUB

THE H.K. INDIAN WOMEN'S CLUB

THE KHALSA DIWAN

THE NAV BHARAT CLUB

President's:

TEL : 3-7218844

TELEX: 43500-HARI-HX

Hon. Secretary's:-

TEL : 5-443041

Dear Mr. Prior,

We are grateful for the courtesies extended to our Council member, Mr. Lachman Narain during his recent visit to London. We certainly appreciate the interest you have shown regard- ing our future nationality status as a result of the Hong Kong Bill and we are briefly summarising the position to date.

We regret that the solution proposed by Her Majesty's Government (HMG) does not take into consideration the grounds of our repeated requests for the right of abode in the United Kingdom. HMG has adopted an unrealistic atti- tude and has avoided the real issue by saying that it would not be appropriate to give the right of abode to any group of British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTCs), who do not already have the right. It has also said that it would not be correct to discriminate in favour of one section of the community on a racial basis.

We must, however, point out that the nationality arrangements proposed for Chinese BDTCs and thosed planned for non-Chinese BDTCs are in fact based on the race of the individual.

For your information, the differences in status are as follows:-

(1) Chinese BDTCS, who are eligible to become

British National Overseas (BNO) after 1997, will not be able to have their status trans- missable to their offspring born after 1997. Furthermore, after 1997, they will not be entitled to consular protection by HMG in what will then be the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

/Contd.