TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 65

MR LUCE SAID THE AIM OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS TO ENSURE THAN

AN INDIVIDUAL NEED USE ONLY HIS PASSPORT TO SATISFY THIRD COUNTRIES

THAT HE HAS THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER, IT IS HARD TO

SEE HOW THIS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WHEN THE AGREED FORMULA EXCLUDES A

DIRECT REFERENCE TO RIGHT OF ABODEN THE BNO PASSPORT. #T WILL

STATE ONLY THAT THE BNO HOLDER HAS A PERMANENT HONG KONG DENTATY CARD WHICH, IN TURN, WILL STATE HE HAS RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. CONVINCING ARGUMENTS WERE MADE BY UNOFFICIALS THAT THE ESTIMATED 10,000 NON-CHINESE BDTC HOLDERS SHOULD BE GIVEN SPECIAL TREATMENT NAMELY, RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN THROUGH A FULL BRITISH PASSPORT

OR THE RIGHT TO RETAIN THEIR BDTC PASSPORT AND SETTLE IN ANOTHER

BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY.

ALTHOUGH THE SPOTLIGHT WAS PUT ON 6,000 BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS OF INDIAN ETHNIC ORIGIN, THE APPEAL FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT ALSO **NCLUDED PORTUGUESE, EURASIANS AND THE DWINDLING BAND OF EX-

SERVICEMEN WHO RASKED THEIR LIVES FOR KING AND EMPIRE ON WORLD WAR

*M. THIS PROPOSAL DESERVES FULL AND SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION BY

MPS AND AT IS EARNESTLY HOPED THEY WILL NOT BE 4NFLUENCED BY #LL-

FOUNDED RACIST SCAREMONGERING ABOUT ASHAN HORDES BEATHING AT

BRITAIN'S DOOR.

IF BRITAIN WANT TO CONVINCE HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT THE BNO PASSPORT

WILL BE MORE THAN A PENCE OF PAPER, IT SHOULD FIND A WAY TO ADOPT

THE UNOFFICIAL'S PROPOSAL TO ENDORSE THE BNO WITH AUTOMATIC

PERMISSION TO LAND IN THE UK. THIS AMOUNTS TO ABANDONING THE NEED

FOR ENTRY CERTIFICATES. OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD, HOPEFULLY, THEN DEMONSTRATE THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE NEW PASSPORT BY WAVING VISA

REQUIREMENTS.

ANOTHER PROPOSAL TO PUT A CERTIFICATE OF RIGHT OF ABODE 4N THE

BNO PASSPORT, IS UNLIKELY TO MAKE MUCH HEADWAY SIMPLY BECAUSE T

WOULD TOUCH ON SOVEREIGNTY AND SEMANTIC PROBLEMS THAT BOGGED DOWN

THE JLG TALKS.

THERE IS ONE APPEAL BY UNOFFICIALS TO WHICH ALL MPS SHOULD BE

RECEPTIVE. THAT AS THE CALL FOR THEM TO BE TOTALLY HONEST TO

THEMSELVES AND TO HONG KONG PEOPLE ABOUT THE REASONS FOR WHATEVER

ACTION THEY TAKE ON THE WHITE PAPER. IN THE CLOSING STAGES OF WHAT

FOR MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE HAS BEEN A PAINFUL PROGRESSION TOWARDS

LOSING THEIR NATIONALITY, THATS THE VERY LEAST THE BRITHISH

PARLIAMENT CAN DO.

ENDS

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/NID

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, BL DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON

MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE

MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL