HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
18 November 1992
109
香港立法局
一九九二年十一月十八日
109
So, Mr Deputy President, I believe we should fight for full British citizenship for the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong and I believe that is not backtracking and saying that we want this for all of Hong Kong's population. I am a realist. I believe in being pragmatic. I do not believe in just sticking to high sounding ideals and shouting on a roof for things that are not achievable. I honestly do believe that although idealistic, shouting to ask for full British citizenship for all Hong Kong citizens is not realistic. But the ethnic minorities are a small number; so I think that is achievable.
I am disappointed today that the debate seems to me to have become another "party line, you win, I lose" debate. I was hoping that it would not be so. In fact, I interpret Mr ARCULLI's amendment differently. I think it embodies Mr McGREGOR's motion and it goes further than that. I believe it also does not bar the eventuality of achieving full British nationality for the ethnic minorities. Perhaps the Deputy President would allow Mr ARCULLI to confirm that it is in conjunction with Mr MCGREGOR's motion.
On these grounds, Mr Deputy President, I support both the motion and the amendment.
8.00 pm
DEPUTY PRESIDENT: It is now eight o'clock and under Standing Order 8(2) the Council should adjourn.
ATTORNEY GENERAL: Mr Deputy President, with your consent, I move that Standing Order 8(2) should be suspended so as to allow the Council's business this evening to be concluded.
Question proposed, put and agreed to.
DR LEONG CHE-HUNG: Mr Deputy President, the common thread between the original motion and the amendment is that they both aim to help non-Chinese minorities in Hong Kong, whose plight, as Members have mentioned just now, has for some time been dangling in the clouds. This I would urge the Council to do its utmost. It is not a political issue as Mr Howard YOUNG has just mentioned.
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