TNAG-2939-FCO40-4215-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 93

Mr Shivshankar Menon

Joint Secretary

East Asia Division

Ministry of External Affairs

South Block

NEW DELHI

Dear Mr Menon,

HONG KONG

pa

ethnic minorities

BRITISH High coMMISSION

NEW DELHI, INDIA

HKD 340/6

5 January 1993

REL

12 JAN 1993

INDL

28

see 92/HKD. 340/4

You may recall our meeting of 21 October and my subsequent letter to you of the same date setting out material regarding the legal position of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. The Secretary (West), Mr Srinivasan, also raised this matter in his talks with Sir John Coles on 5 November.

Since then, you may like to be aware that on 18 November the Hong Kong Legislative Council debated a motion "that this Council urge the Government to examine the problems faced by the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong in terms of their nationality before and after 1997 and to take such steps as may be open to it to ensure that citizens of the ethnic minorities who have lived in Hong Kong as permanent residents for many years do not become stateless in 1997". I attach a copy of the speech made by the Hong Kong Government Secretary for Security. While this was not of course delivered by a spokesman of the British Government the speech covers the ground in terms my authorities subscribe to. I would draw your attention in particular to the first four paragraphs of the speech. These describe the rights of abode, passports and consular protection available to British Dependent Territories citizens and to British Overseas citizens in Hong Kong, and cite the British Government's repeated assurance that, if any solely British national with no claim to Chinese nationality came under severe pressure to leave Hong Kong, the Government of the day would consider with "considerable and particular sympathy their case for admission to the UK".

Yours sincerely,

bock

HED, FOO

P J Fowler

Minister and

Deputy High Commissioner