TNAG-2186-FCO40-3123-Ethnic-minorities-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 48

Council of Hongkong Indian Associations

Member Associations:

● THE INDIAN CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE

THE HINDU ASSOCIATION

c/o TST P. O. BOX 95106,

HONG KONG

Telex: 43500-HARI-HX Fax: 3-693331

Tel: 3-7218844

THE INDIA ASSOCIATION

THE INDIA CLUB

THE KHALSA DIWAN

• THE HONG KONG INDIAN WOMEN'S CLUB

THE NAV BHARAT CLUB

11th November 1989

22 NOV 1989

Mr. Stephen Dorrell, M.P

House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

Dear Mr. Dorrell,

This Council is in the act of petitioning the Prime Minister and HMG to grant British Nationality and the Right of Abode in the United Kingdom to those ethnic minorities in Hong Kong who are British Dependent Territories Citizens ("BDTCs"). According to official statistics, the total number of ethnic minority BDTCs in 1985 was 11,985 which includes some 6,000 Hong Kong Indians. However, because of an increase in the numbers emigrating from Hong Kong in the past few years, we have every reason to believe that the present figure is less than 10,000.

Hong Kong Indians have been in Hong Kong since its inception as a Crown Colony and whenever they might have arrived went there to live and work under British rule. In so doing they forfeited their right to Indian Nationality and became British Colonial Citizens. After 1997 they are not being given the right to Chinese Nationality and will be reduced to the status of "British National Overseas" with no right to live in British territory anywhere in the world; their right of abode in Hong Kong will be controlled by an identity card issued by the Chinese Authorities and distinguishing them as ethnically non- Chinese. They can transmit this "Nationality" for two generations only. After that their descendants will become stateless unless they can successfully apply for Chinese Nationality. There is every indication that China regards them as Britain's problem.

Contd/2...

President: MR. H. N. HARILELA, OBE LLD JP Vice President: MR. G.B. MAHBUBANI Secretary-General: MR. K. B. RATHI

Chairman: MR. K. SITAL JP

Council Members: MRS. KAMLA KAPAHI

MR. LACHMAN NARAIN