TNAG-2867-FCO40-4121-Status-of-the-Hong-Kong-Red-Cross-after-1997-1993 — Page 4

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REGISTRY Action Taken

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CORRECTED VERSION: PARA 3 LINE 2.

PARA 3 LINE 7.

PARA NUMBERS.

PARA 5 LINE 13

PARA 5 LINE 19.

ERRORS REGRETTED.

FROM: PETER LAI, DSCA

FOR: MR P F RICKETTS, HKD, FCO COPIED TO: SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, PEKING

WILLIAM EHRMAN ESQ., PA

STATUS OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS AFTER 1997.

1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER TO MICHAEL SZE OF 12 MAY

INFORMING US OF THE COUNTESS OF LIMERICK'S RECENT APPROACH TO YOU CONCERNING THE STATUS OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS AFTER 1997.

2. THE HONG KONG RED CROSS (HKRC) IS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL, NON- PROFIT MAKING SUBVENTED ORGANISATION INCORPORATED IN HONG KONG UNDER THE BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY (HONG KONG BRANCH) ORDINANCE (CAP 1129). IT WAS ORIGINALLY SET UP AS A LOCAL BRANCH OF THE

BRITISH RED CROSS AND WAS UPGRADED TO A CENTRAL COUNCIL BRANCH IN

1990, WHICH GAVE IT THE SAME STATUS AS BRANCHES IN SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE ISLE OF MAN. THE HKRC PLAYS AN IMPORTANT

ROLE IN PROVIDING VALUABLE MEDICAL AND WELFARE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICES, CARE FOR THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED, NATURAL DISASTER RELIEF, ETC. WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THE CONTINUATION OF THE ACTIVITIES OF

THE HKRC IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

3. WE DO NOT ENVISAGE ANY DIFFICULTIES IN THIS REGARD. AS YOU

SAY, BASIC LAW 144 148 AND 149 SPECIFICALLY FORESEE THE CONTINUED FUNCTIONING OF NGOS LIKE THE RED CROSS. GIVEN THAT THE

HKRC IS ALSO NOT/NOT AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION IN THE LEGAL SENSE OF THAT TERM, WE DOUBT IF WE WOULD NEED TO CONSULT THE

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