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NATIONALS WOULD NOT GIVE RISE TO 'PEKING PEOPLE RULING HK. THE MOVE WAS TO HELP RESOLVE THE BRAIN DRAIN. NCNA HK DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN SAID THE RELAXATION WAS A GOOD THING THAT WOULD FACILITATE THE EXCHANGE OF TALENTED PEOPLE BETWEEN HK AND CHINA, THE MEDIA (27.9) REPORTED. MR ZHOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR BOTH SIDES TO DISCUSS DETAILS OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENT. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (28.9), IN AN EDITORIAL, WONDERED WHETHER THIS WAS PART OF A SECRET DEAL BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA DURING FRANCIS MAUDE'S RECENT VISIT TO PEKING. IT WAS REPORTED THAT CHINESE DISSIDENTS IN
THE US VOWED TO MAKE USE OF THE SCHEME TO FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY IN
THE MAINLAND AT ITS DOORSTEP.
BILL OF RIGHTS
10. A QUEENS COUNSEL, ANTHONY LESTER, SAID HK'S BILL OF RIGHTS COULD BECOME A SWORD WHICH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD USE TO SUPPRESS LOCAL RESIDENTS AFTER 1997. MR LESTER WAS INSTRUCTED BY HK BANK TO STUDY THE DRAFT LAW. HE GAVE A WARNING THAT THE BILL WOULD BECOME AN INSTRUMENT OF OPPRESSION IF THE INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE BILL WAS TO BECOME POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.
HE MAINTAINED THAT ONLY THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS FUNCTIONARIES SHOULD BE BOUND BY THE BILL. MR LESTER'S REMARKS WERE REJECTED BY A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO SAID THAT LOCAL COURTS, WHICH HAD FULL POWER IN INTERPRETING THE BILL OF RIGHTS, WOULD BE ABLE TO STOP ANY UNREASONABLE CLAIMS AGAINST PRIVATE PERSONS BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES.
NATIONALITY
11. A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE HK INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT FOUND THAT MAJOR COMPANIES WERE THROWING THEIR WEIGHT
BEHIND THEIR EMPLOYEES' ATTEMPTS TO GAIN BRITISH PASSPORTS UNDER
THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE. IT REVEALED THAT 70 PERCENT OF EMPLOYERS WOULD SUPPORT STAFF APPLICATIONS FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK UNDER THE SCHEME.
WILSON
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