TNAG-2185-FCO40-3122-Ethnic-minorities-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 201

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 09010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 65

OF 08150OZ JANUARY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

нко 3402

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

07 MAR 1990

2

174602

MDHOAN 0740

FROM HKD

DECK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN HONG KONG

1. WE ARE FAXING TO YOU A LETTER WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS RECEIVED FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG INDIAN ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR PROPOSED DRAFT REPLY CON WHICH WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS).

2.

SINCE THE ETHNIC MINORITIES WILL INEVITABLY BE DISAPPOINTED BY THE DECISION THAT NO SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE FOR THEM UNDER THE NATIONALITY SCHEME, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM WHAT REASSURANCE WE CAN ON OTHER RELATED ISSUES EG. THE CONCERNS THEY HAVE EXPRESSED ABOUT ARTICLE 24(4) OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR PROVISIONS ON HOW NON-CHINESE PEOPLE CAN PROVE THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN HONG KONG AS THEIR PLACE OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE. YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE 1987 IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE WILL NEED TO BE FURTHER AMENDED TO BRING HONG KONG LAW COMPLETELY INTO LINE WITH THE DRAFT BASIC LAW AND THAT YOU ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING HOW BEST TO TAKE THE PROCESS FORWARD. WE WOULD LIKE TO GO SLIGHTLY FURTHER THAN THIS IN THE DRAFT REPLY FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO HARILELA EG. BY INCLUDING AN ASSURANCE THAT YOU INTEND TO INTRODUCE THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THIS WOULD CAUSE YOU ANY DIFFICULTIES.

3. FOR OUR OWN INFORMATION, IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD SUMMARISE THE CURRENT POSITION REGARDING ID CARDS FOR BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS AND HOW THIS AFFECTS THE NON-CHINESE ETHNIC MINORITIES.

4.

HURD

GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY DESKBY 09093OZ.

YYYY