TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 342

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MOLIAN 5734

DURING THE SINO-PORTUGUESE TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF MACAU. HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT EVEN SO, MACAU CHINESE HOLDING PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED AS CHINESE NATIONALS BECAUSE THE PASSPORTS WERE ONLY PROVIDED FOR THEM AS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS.

5.

QUOTING A BRITISH SOURCE, THE MEDIA (7.3) SAID THAT THERE WERE NO NEW VIEWS IN CHINA'S RECENT CRITICISM OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME. THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE HAD NOT CONTRAVENED THE JD. IT WOULD BE UP TO HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO WERE TO BE GRANTED THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WOULD RENOUNCE THEIR CHINESE NATIONALITY IN 1997. IT WAS REGRETTABLE THAT CHINA

HAD SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO WERE HOLDERS OF FOREIGN

PASSPORTS WOULD NOT BE ENTITLED TO CONSULAR PROTECTION AFTER 1997.

6.

A FEW PAPERS (11.3) REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING SETTING A DEADLINE FOR PEOPLE TO NATURALISE AS BRITISH SUBJECTS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, WAS QUOTED BY THE PAPERS AS SAYING THAT THE QUESTION OF SETTING A DEADLINE WAS BEING CONSIDERED. THE PAPERS SAID THAT AFTER JUNE 4, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR NATURALISATION HAD INCREASED. AN FCO SPOKESMAN IN HONG KONG, SAID THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY PLAN TO STOP NATURALISATION.

BILL OF RIGHTS

7. THE GOVERNMENT, HAVING SECURED THE PERMISSION OF THE FOREIGN OFFICE, HAD DECIDED TO FURTHER UPGRADE THE STATUS OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (8.3) REPORTED. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE LETTERS PATENT WOULD BE CHANGED AND THAT A CLAUSE SIMILAR TO ARTICLE 39 OF THE BL WOULD BE INSERTED IN IT IN A BID TO ENTRENCH THE BILL. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THIS MEASURE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE BL AND WOULD ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF THE

BILL AFTER 1997.

·

8. THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (11.3) SAID THAT ACCORDING TO A

PROVISION IN THE BILL IT COULD BE REPEALED BY LEGCO BEFORE 1997

WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY FOR A PARTIAL OR FULL REPEAL. IN ORDER TO GIVE THE PROPOSED BILL A SUPERIOR STATUS OVER OTHER LAWS, THE LETTERS PATENT WOULD BE AMENDED TO ENSURE THAT RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS CONFERRED BY THE BILL OF RIGHTS COULD NOT BE AMENDED TO CONFLICT

WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT AS APPLIED TO HONG KONG.

9.

LAW SOCIETY PRESIDENT DONALD YAP SAID HE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT

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