CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 10083OZ FCO
TELNO 149
OF 09103OZ MAY 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE LISBON
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG
B
075750
CONFIDENTIAL
MDHIAN 9797
HONG KONG FOR POLITICAL ADVISER
FCO TELNO 260 : MACAU
1. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING HOW MANY MACAU CITIZENS WOULD QUALIFY FOR PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS. THERE IS NO LACK OF AUTHORITATIVE SOUNDING ANSWERS. THE TROUBLE IS THAT THEY RARELY MATCH. MY LETTER TO PAUL OF 13 JULY 1989 QUOTED AROUND 90,000. THE GOVERNOR OF MACAU HAS CONFIRMED THAT FIGURE MORE RECENTLY WHEN I
HAVE CALLED ON HIM.
2. IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND THE LATEST POSITION GRAHAM HAS NOW SPOKEN TO PAULO REIS, HEAD OF MACAU GOVERNMENT INFORMATION DEPARTMENT, WHO ANSWERED QUERIES IN TUR AS FOLLOWS:
3. PORTUGUESE CITIZENS IN MACAU AUTOMATICALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO
VOTE IN BOTH PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN PORTUGAL.
THEY NEED ONLY REGISTER WITH THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES THAT THEY
INTEND TO DO SO, IN THE SAME WAY THAT A PORTUGUESE CITIZEN MOVING FROM LISBON TO OPORTO MUST RE-REGISTER.
4. UNTIL 1974 ALL THOSE BORN IN MACAU WERE AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED
TO PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP. AFTER THE DELUGE IN AFRICA THE PORTUGUESE NATIONALITY LAW WAS ALTERED (CIRCA 1976) AND CURRENT
CONDITIONS FOR PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP RELEVANT TO MACAU ARE :
(I) 6 YEARS RESIDENCY IN PORTUGAL OR A TERRITORY ADMINISTERED BY PORTUGAL
(II) PROOF OF WRITTEN AND SPOKEN PORTUGUESE
(III) NO CRIMINAL RECORD
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