"Their fears about possibly becoming stateless persons after 1997 should be viewed and considered with a high degree of
and sympathy."
understanding
Allow me to make a plea to those MPs taking part in the debate in Westminster on the proposed BN(O) Order. I plead that they be totally honest, not only with their own conscience and honour but also with us when taking part in the debate.
Please take heed of the request of the small number (less than 10,000) of British subjects of Hong Kong who are not ethnic Chinese. Their fears about possibly becoming stateless persons after 1997 should be viewed and considered with a high degree of understanding and sympathy. They do deserve special consideration if only because the plight they may possibly be in is, in my view, a product of the legacy of the Empire that was. Many of the forefathers of our non-Chinese friends might very well have been required to work and eventually settled in Hong Kong as they were brought in by their then colonial masters in order to perform the necessary pioneering work in Hong Kong for the glory of the then Empire. The uniqueness of their case must rank equally with, if not higher than, the case of the Gibraltarians and Falklanders for it is the British Government that decided to return Hong Kong to China. If Britain chooses to concede to the citizens of Gibraltar and Falkland Islands, I could not see any reason why they should not give special consideration for those people who are not ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong. After all the number is much less than those of the Gibraltarians.
The Hon. Stephen Cheong, OBE, JP
“The minority groups in Hong Kong deserve a better deal than what is now given to them."
As they are not of Chinese origin, they cannot be expected to share the same positive feelings of some Chinese in Hong Kong about the return to motherland. Many of these non-Chinese British nationals had come to Hong Kong not because it was Chinese territory, but because it was British. They chose Hong Kong because they had faith in the laws and the system of government of Great Britain and because they chose to give or to continue their allegiance to Great Britian.
The present package is not good enough. Let the British government improve on it before asking the people of Hong Kong to accept it.
The Hon. Martin Lee, QC, JP
It would be unfair to leave the subject of statelessness without making a case for the ethnic minorities. The Chinese nationality law will not automatically provide a nationality for these minorities. Unless they apply for BN(O) status before 1997, their BDTC status will be changed to BOC (British Overseas Citizen) status on 1 July 1997. As the BN(O) and BOC have shortcomings as mentioned earlier, the Indian representations consider them as travel documents only, which do not carry effective nationality. In this way the Indians are worried that they will become stateless by the transfer date of 1997.
As I am a member joining this Council through an
an elective process, I feel dutybound to represent the views of Hong Kong people, both ethnic Chinese and minorities included.
The Hon. Desmond Lee Yu Tai
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