(H) EDUCATION AND CULTURE CONFIDENTIAL
16. IN LU'S MEETING WITH ACADEMICS, THE POINT WAS MADE THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD ENABLE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES TO CONTINUE. A REPRESENTAIVE OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY EMPHASIZED THAT TS EXISTING AUTONOMY SHOULD BE PRESERVED, CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF TEACHING STAFF MUST BE PROTECTED, AND THAT FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND ACADEMIC PURSUIT MUST BE PROTECTED. THERE WAS ALSO A SUGGESTION THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD SET THE FUTURE DIRECTION FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION. OTHERS EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING INDEPENDENT ACCREDITATION OF PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IN THE SAR AND THE MAINTENANCE OF STANDARDS. ON LANGUAGE POLICY, THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING THE OFFICIAL STATUS OF ENGLISH IN HONG KONG WAS EMPHASIZED.
(1) SOCIAL WELFARE AND LABOUR
17. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION SAID THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD STATE THAT THE EXISTING WELFARE SYSTEM WOULD BE MAINTAINED: THE STATUS AND FUNCTION OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES SHOULD ALSO BE GUARANTEED AND THE SARG SHOULD PROVIDE APPROPRIATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THEM: AND THAT APPROPRIATE CARE SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE OLD AND THE HANDICAPPED. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE PROFESSIONAL STATUS OF SOCIAL-WORKERS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED, AND THEIR ABILITY TO RETAIN LINKS WITH INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE GUARANTEED. ON THE LABOUR FRONT, MOST LABOUR GROUPS EMPHASIZED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS CURRENTLY APPLICABLE TO HONG KONG SHOULD BE MAINTAINED: WORKERS
SHOULD BE FREE TO FORM TRADE UNIONS AND TO PESORT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING: AND HK'S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE PETAINED.
(J) NATIONALITY
18. A MEMBER OF THE KOWLOON CITY BASIC LAW CONCERN GROUP SUGGESTED THAT THE RIGHTS OF MINORITY GROUPS SHOULD BE PROTECTED UNDER THE BASIC LAW. A DB MEMPER ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE BASIC LAW SHOULD GUARANTEE THE ABILITY OF COI HOLDERS TO TRAVEL FREELY TO OTHER COUNTRIES. A REPRESENTATIVE OF A LOCAL LAWYER'S GROUP SUGGESTED THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD BE ALLOWED EXCEPTIONALLY TO RETAIN DUAL NATIONALITY. WHEN MEETING FISHERMEN'S AND FARMER'S ORGANIZ- ATIONS, LU PING WAS TOLD THAT THE EXISTING SITUATION WHEREBY SOME FISHERMEN HELD BOTH CHINESE PASSPORTS AND HKID CARDS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. AN ACADEMIC ALSO SUGGESTED THAT A DIFFERENT ID CARD SHOULD BE ISSUED TO PEOPLE COMING TO HK TO WORK: THESE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG EVEN IF THEY WERE
HERE FOR MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS. CONFIDENTIAL
((K) CIVIL
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