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TO TELELETTER HONG KONG
TELELETTER 345/4
OF 070044Z NOVEMBER 86
INFO TELELETTER F C O
- 7 NOV 1986
PWUSTHY
MA
Actor faker:
FROM R J T MCLAREN,MANILA
D G JEAFFRESON ESQ CBE, SECREATARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG D F B LE BRETON ESQ, NTD, FCO
TO
CC
C O HUM ESQ HK DEPT, FCO.
100
MY TELNO 507 TO FCC: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF BN(0)
PASSPORTS.
1. 1 CALLED ON THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSIONER FOR IMMIGRATION AND DEPORTATION, ENRIQUE JOAQUIN, ON 6 NOVEMBER TO FOLLOW UP MY REPRESENTATIONS TO THE FOREIGN MINISTRY REPORTED IN TUR. HAVING EXPLAINED THE GENERAL BACKGROUND AND HANDED OVER COPIES OF THE NOTE AND ATTACHMENTS ALREADY PROVIDED TO THE MFA, I SAID THAT I HAD ASKED TO SEE JOAQUIN BECAUSE IT WAS HIS IMMIGRATIONS OFFICERS WHO WERE AT THE SHARP END AND WOULD BE DEALING WITH HOLDERS OF THE NEW PASSPORTS. IT WAS THEREFORE IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHY. 1 WENT OVER THE GROUND CAREFULLY WITH HIM, STRESSING IN PARTICULAR:
(A) THE OBJECT OF THE EXERCISE, IE TO ENABLE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO TRAVEL AS FREELY AFTER 1997 AS THEY DO NOW, AND TO CONTINUE TO USE BRITISH PASSPORTS IF THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THEM:
(B) THE NEED FOR THE NEW FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY TO HAVE A
NEW TITLE:
(C)
THE GUARANTEE OF RETURNABILITY AND THE REASONS FOR THE LINK WITH ID CARDS: AND
(D)
THE CONTINUED USE OF BTDC AS WELL AS THE NEW-STYLE BN(0)
PASSPORTS UP TO 1997.
2. JOAQUIN EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR MY CALL AND SEEMED GENERALLY HAPPY WITH THE EXPLANATIONS I HAD PROVIDED. AFTER CLARIFYING ONE OR TWO DETAILED POINTS, HE SAID HE WOULD STUDY THE DOCUMENTS I HAD LEFT WITH HIM AND LET ME KNOW IF HE HAD ANY
FURTHER QUESTIONS.
3.
JOAQUIN ATTENDED THE RECENT INTERPOL CONFERENCE AT WHICH HE SAID HE HAD HAD SOME CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE.
HE HAD ALSO BEEN IN HONG KONG VERY RECENTLY FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PHILIPPINE CONSUL-GENERAL. HE HAD CLEARLY BEEN INPRESSED BY THE EFFICIENCY OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND SAID HE WOULD WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY ITS METHODS MORE CLOSELY.
AS SEEN FROM HERE THERE WOULD DE MERIT IN INVITING JOAQUIN TO VISIT HONG KONG AT A CONVENIENT TIME BEFORE TOO LONG. THE PROGRAMME COULD INCLUDE TALKS WITH THE COMMISSIONER FOR IMMIGRATION, VISITS TO KAI TAK AND EITHER THE MACAU FERRY TERMINAL OR THE LOWU BORDER CROSSING, CALLS ON POLICE HEADQUARTERS, AND A CALL ON YOU. THE OPPORTUNITY COULD BE TAKEN TO CLEAR UP ANY REMAINING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BN(0) PASSPORT AND PERHAPS (IF THEY WERE READY) TO SHOW HIM SAMPLES. 5. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO PURSUE THIS IDEA. IF FUNDS ARE SHORT, AS THEY USUALLY ARE, 1 COULD COUCH AN INVITATION IN THE FORM **WHEN YOU ARE NEXT IN HONG KONG...**
BUT IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE BETTER IF YOU COULD OFFER TO PAY HOTEL
COSTS AT LEASE.
SIGNED R J T MCLAREN
YYYY
MAN 3849
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