TNAG-2091-FCO40-2977-Royal-Hong-Kong-Police-Force-1990 — Page 101

CONFIDENTIAL

The People's Liberation Army (PLA)

There

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is some anxiety

anxiety that Police officers could be conscripted to the PLA after 1997, to augment possible shortfalls in strength in that agency.

Oath of Allegiance

As the oath of allegiance will be abolished in 1997, officers wish to know what arrangements will pertain thereafter.

Mixed Marriages

Expatriate officers married to Hong Kong Chinese wives, and who in the future relocate to the UK, are concerned at

at the severe limitations imposed on such wives becoming full UK citizens, by the Nationality Act. The continued right of abode in Britain, of such wives, if the husband dies, is an area of particular concern. The problem appears to be a disinclination to regard RHKP service as 'specially designated', under Section 2 of the Act. There is a more marginal concern that Hong Kong Chinese wives who do, in fact, have UK passports and who continue living in Hong Kong, will merely be regarded as Chinese nationals by the Chinese Government and, ext ending the argument, will not be subject to full consu lar protection by the British Government.

Right of Abode of Expatriates in Hong_Kong

The Joint Declaration intimates that some mechanism will be introduced to enable expatriates to take Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence. Officers wish to know when this will happen.

Vietnamese Boat People

Whilst policy regarding repatriation is, of course, outside the Police remit, it remains a fact that, at time of writing, over 800 Police officers have been redeployed to guard duties in detention centres. As the agency of last resort it is axiomatic that the Police will have to continue to assist Correctional Services Department, unless and until that agency is able to cope. The main complaint is that, not until relatively recently, has a meaningful effort been made to bring working conditions in the Police-run centres up to

an acceptable standard. The root reason for this appears to have been the Finance Committee's refusal to vote funds until mandatory repatriation was set in motion. The Committee's regard for the

the welfare of the Police Force can only be described as I would ask that the British Government continue to monitor conditions in the centres and intervene financially, if necessary should hygiene and working conditions, generally, deteriorate again. Police officers are expected to work in unpleasant conditions but those at Tai A Chau and, until more recently, Shek Kong, had to be seen to be believed.

scant.

CONFIDENTIAL