B. Barnes Jon (33)
120224 MDHIAN 5193
RESTRICTED
Vec
Home Office
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 290930Z FCO
TELNO 494
OF 290858Z MARCH 93
AND TO DESKBY 29093OZ NEW DELHI, PEKING
B4 Div.
do
29/3.
& DIST ?/
COPY
LEGCO DEBATE ON ETHNIC MINORITIES
SUMMARY
1. AS PREDICTED, WE WERE PUSHED HARD BY LEGCO INTO SUPPORTING THE ETHNIC MINORITIES BID FOR FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP. WHAT IS NEEDED NOW IS A CLEAR RESPONSE FROM MINISTERS ON THIS ISSUE.
THE DEBATE
2. THE DEBATE WENT MUCH AS PREDICTED. PRESSURE CAME FROM ALL POINTS OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM FOR ACTION ON BEHALF OF THIS SMALL MINORITY OF BDTCS. ALTHOUGH THE FOCUS WAS ON HMG, WE ALSO CAME UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE AND CRITICISM. OUR NEUTRAL STANCE WAS ATTACKED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONALITY SUB COMMITTEE, EMILY LAU, AND BY MARTIN BARROW. THE LATTER CITED HOME OFFICE SOURCES WHO HAD TOLD HIM THAT OUR LUKEWARM SUPPORT FOR THE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN THE PAST HAD PREVENTED GENUINE RECONSIDERATION IN LONDON.
3.
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY'S CLOSING SPEECH DREW ON YOUR TELNO 217 AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO RAISE FALSE HOPES ON THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE TENOR OF THE DEBATE HE CONCLUDED THAT WE WOULD PUT THE CASE FORCEFULLY TO YOU ONCE MORE FOR SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION IF THE MOTION PASSED.
A FULL RECORD OF THE DEBATE FOLLOWS BY FAX.
5. THE NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE MET ON 11 MARCH AND WE WERE ASKED TO LET IT HAVE SIGHT OF OUR REPRESENTATIONS TO LONDON. WE WILL AVOID SETTING SUCH PRECEDENT, BUT THIS UNDERLINES THE NEED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY HERE THAT WE HAVE PUT THE CASE FORCEFULLY TO HMG. IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE WILL NEED A CLEAR FIRM LINE TO TAKE, PREFERABLY INVOLVING A DECISION BY MINISTERS.
6.
THE SUB COMMITTEE HAS NOW PROPOSED TO SEND A DELEGATION TO THE UK TO URGE YOU TO FULFIL YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO THESE PEOPLE. THERE WAS SOME ARGUMENT IN THE HOUSE COMMITTEE LAST FRIDAY (26
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RF
14 APR 1993
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