TNAG-2185-FCO40-3122-Ethnic-minorities-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 20

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From The Minister of State

The Hon Francis Maude MP

Michael Mates Esq MP House of Commons London SW1A OAA

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

31 January 1990

256.

Lea

Richerel

Thank you for your letter of 29 November about the non-Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong and the representations made on their behalf by the Council of Hong Kong Indian Associations.

Douglas Hurd had the opportunity to discuss these concerns with a delegation from the Council of Hong Kong Indian Associations in London in November. His Parliamentary Private Secretary, Tim Yeo, also met them in Hong Kong on 16 January.

We

We have taken very careful note of all the representations on this issue. In reaching the decision which was announced to the House on 20 December, we took fully into account the arguments put to us by the Council on behalf of the non-ethnic Chinese minorities. concluded that we could not treat this group as a special category within the scheme: the non-ethnic Chinese minorities will be eligible to apply for British citizenship under the scheme and each application will be treated on its merits.

As you know, in recognition of the particular concern of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, the Government have already taken steps to reassure them about their position after 1997. We have made provision for the children and grandchildren of former BDTCs born after 1997 to acquire British Overseas Citizenship if they would otherwise be stateless. And we have also given a specific assurance in Parliament that if, against all expectations, the ethnic minorities came under pressure to leave Hong Kong