TNAG-2668-FCO40-3865-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-1993 — Page 144

AECS OBJECTIVE AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Objective

Our objective in meeting with members of the Legislative Council is to inform you of our concerns and of the reasons why we believe that the current localisation non-renewal policy should be reviewed. If we have persuaded you that our position merits support, we ask this Panel and individual members of Legco -

(a) to exert influence on the Government to promptly undertake a review of the non-renewal policy, in full consultation with the staff associations;

(b) to voice your opinion as to whether you agree with our suggestions

for revising the policy; and

(c) to support our request for an interim suspension of the policy while a

review is undertaken.

Executive Summary

Following is a summary of the issues and arguments contained in the attached brief. References in the summary to the localisation non-renewal policy refer to the Government policy which denies a long serving overseas officer the opportunity to be treated as a local officer so that he may continue in Government service.

(1) We support the Government's policy of giving preference to its local

citizens when recruiting for the civil service.

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

We accept the principle that the Hong Kong community should be administered by its local citizens.

We do not resist the Basic Law requirement that certain top posts be reserved for Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of Hong Kong.

We consider that the present localisation policy of not renewing the agreements of long serving overseas officers (the "non-renewal" policy) does not reflect the intention of the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and is in conflict with the Bill of Rights and the Letters Patent.

The present policy discriminates against a tiny minority of Hong Kong persons on the basis of their social origin.