TNAG-1559-FCO40-2123-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 139

GRS 650

UNCLASSIFIED

ник

HAK 04014

RECEIVE: REGISTRY

22 JAN 1986

FM HONG KONG

INDEX

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 229

ICER

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

W

OF 20104OZ JANUARY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

MIPT: WHITE PAPER ON NATIONALITY: MEDIA COVERAGE ON 20 AND

21 JANUARY.

20 JAN

THE FINANCIAL DAILY SAND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION

REVEALED IN MR WADDINGTON'S OPENING STATEMENT WAS A BLOW TO

CONFIDENCE AND MORALE IN HK. IF NO REMEDIAL STEP WAS TAKEN, THE

HK GOVERNMENT WOULD TURN FROM A ''LAME DUCK'' INTO A WALKING

DEAD DUCK' BY THE TIME HK PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY CIVIL SERVANTS,

DEVELOPED A HOSTILE ATTITUDE.

WAH KPU YAT PO ASKED THE PEOPLE OF HK TO SUPPORT UMELCO'S

STAND. THE EXPRESS SAID BRITAIN DID NOT HAVE ANY SENSE OF

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS HK. THE HK DAILY NEWS SAID ITS WAS

BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS

WITH THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL TO THE UK.

SING PAO SAID IT WAS THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT WHICH RAISED THE QUESTION OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS HK. NOW IT WAS THE SAME GOVERNMENT WHICH REFUSED TO TAKE UP THE RESPONSIBILITIES.

THE PAPER SAID IN CONTINUING TO PRESS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, UMELCO

MEMBERS SHOULD AT THE SAME TIME FIND OUT WHY BRITAIN WAS SO

INSENSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HK.

21 JAN

(149)

CHING PO AND YIK CHUN OF TIN TIN DAILY NEWS HIT OUT AT THE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR NOT GRANTING UMELCO'S REQUEST FOR

UNOBSTRUCTED ENTRY INTO THE UK BY 3N(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS. THEY

FELT THAT THE REASONS GIVEN BY THE DRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR THE

REFUSAL WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. CHING PO SAID UMELCO WAS NOT ASKING THAT

BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO NORMAL IMMIGRATION

REGULATIONS. YIK CHUN SAID ALL HK PEOPLE WAS ASKING FOR WAS THE

LIFTING OF VISA REQUIREMENTS WHEN ENTERING THE UK.

TIN FUNG YAT PO SAID IT WAS UNREASONABLE THAT A BRITISH

NATIONAL SHOULD BE DENIED FREE ENTRY INTO BRITAIN. THE PAPER SAID

THAT OF THE TWO MILLION PLUS BNOS IN HK, VERY FEW WOULD HOPE TO

SETTLE IN BRITAIN WHICH WAS SUFFERING FROM A HIGH RATE OF

UNEMPLOYMENT AND A LAW AND ORDER SITUATION WHICH WAS NO BETTER

THAN THAT IN HK.

/THE HK