TNAG-1387-FCO40-1835-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1986 — Page 17

GRS 250

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2857

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нии очар

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 2 JAN 1986

615)

OF 19044OZ DECEMBER 85

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

PA

TAKEN

NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL : HONG KONG VIEWS

FURTHER TO OUR FULL REPORT SENT TO YOU SUMMARISING THE VIEWS EXPRESSED THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS SINCE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER, TWO DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE DISCUSSED THE NATIONALITY ISSUE AND WE HAVE RECEIVED FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS.

2. ACCEPTABILITY OF BN(0) PASSPORTS AND AN APPEAL THAT HMG SHOULD GRANT AN AUTOMATIC RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO THE UK TO BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS WERE THE MAJOR THEMES OF DISCUSSION AT THE KWUN TONG AND WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS. A NUMBER OF MEMBERS ALSO REITERA- TED THE NEED FOR EARLY ARRANGEMENTS TO BE AGREED BY BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE CONTINUED EASE OF TPAVEL OF HOLDERS OF CERTIFICATE OF ENTITY. SO FAR, EIGHT DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE DISCUSSED THE NATIONALITY ORDER. THE PEMAINING ELEVEN HAVE NOT YET INDIATED ANY INTEREST ON THE SUBJECT.

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THE

3. NON-CHINESE BDTCS, IN PARTICULAP THE INDIAN COMMUNITY, THE IR LOBBYING. IN A LETTER ADDRESSED TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS REPEATED HIS PLEA FOR RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK AND SOUGHT ASSURANCE THAT VIEWS EXPRESSED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS IN SUPPORT OF THE IP REQUEST IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE HAD BEEN CONVEYED TO HMG. AN UPPAN COUNCILLOR, MR. W.M. SULKE, ALSO SENT A WRITTEN PLEA ON BEHALF OF THE NON-CHINESE BDTCS TO THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY.

4. ON 15 DECEMBER SCMP CARRIED A LENGTHY ARTICLE BY JACK SPACKMAN ENTITLED 'THE INDIAN LOBBY GROWS. BUSINESS RACKS A WORRIED COMMUNITY''. IT DESCRIBED THE CONTRIBUTION MADE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY THE INDIAN COMMUNITY AND RECAPITULATED ARUGEMENTS PUT FORWARD BY THIS SECTOR FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT AND SUPPORT EXPRESSED BY A NUMBER OF LEGCO MEMBERS IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE. WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONING NAMES, THE WRITER QUOTED INDIAN COMMUNITY

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