TNAG-2416-FCO40-3518-Hong-Kong-cemeteries-1992 — Page 15

1992-01-24- 14922 URBAN SERVICES TEFT:

\SE ADDRESS YOUR REPLY TO LA請交

AND QUOTE THE FOLLOWING REFERENCE

Ref.: (87) in USD HQD 5/952

TEL. NO: 電話: 867 5457

FAX NO. 8690189

****

8690015

***P

URGENT BY: FAX.

URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.-

HEADQUARTERS?

市政總署總部

QUEENSWAY GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

42/F

-

46/F

66 QUEENSWAY,

HONG KONG.

香港金鐘道六十六號

金鐵道政府合署四十二至四十五樓

B

3

Miss G. Williams,

Foreign and Commonwealth office,

King Charles Street,

London SW1A 2AH

HKA 225/1

C3FF

Dear Miss Williams,

24 January 1992

Your telno 87 of 22.1.92 refers.

-

It could be relayed to the constituent of the Hon. Tim Rathbone, MP that the Hong Kong Cemetery in respect of: all interments prior to 1.12.77 is permanent that is to say disinterments do not, on any cyclic basis, take place unlike many other Hong Kong cemeteries.

It should, however, be noted that the Authority the Director of Urban Services - does have authority to order. disinterments of pre. 1.12.77 burials. This, however, would ̈ only be done if there was an overriding need for the land for a public purpose. The last time this occurred was seventeen years ago in connection with the construction of the Aberdeen Tunnel. At that time a number of graves were removed and the remains either moved to another cemetery or placed in the Ossuary within Hong Kong Cemetery.

There are to my knowledge no plans for public- projects presently under consideration which would involve alienation of any part of Hong Kong Cemetery.

the

Even after the 1997 change of sovereignty

the Authority in: Director of Urban Services will remain respect of public cemeteries including Hong Kong Cemetery. I cannot envisage any change in policy in respect of permanent nature of pre. 1.12.77 burials.

The

undertakings of

of the Chinese Authorities

the

in

respect of Hong Kong Laws and the structure of government- should give comfort on this point.

市政

By

URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

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