TNAG-2940-FCO40-4216-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 97

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

10 March 1993

香港立法局

一九九三年三月十日

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The counter-minded would argue that it may be possible for these ethnic minorities to become Chinese nationals after 1997. Yes they can and yet they can, at most, only apply after 1997 and before then they remain in a state of limbo. It should also be noted that these ethnic minorities would still remain stateless after 1997 should their application fail.

The Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have always said that these ethnic minorities could always apply to be included in the British Nationality Selection Scheme of Hong Kong 1991. It should be remembered that this scheme was launched to restore confidence after 1989 and not as a solution for statelessness. These ethnic minorities should never be asked to apply and processed on an individual basis but rather nationality should be offered to all of them as a complete package.

Mr President, may I conclude by saying that in supporting this motion. I urge colleagues to come up with a clear consensus to press both the Hong Kong and the British Governments for a satisfactory solution to this problem in the shortest possible future.

MR JIMMY MCGREGOR: Mr President, this Council has a duty to ensure that people of non-Chinese ethnic origin, who have lived in Hong Kong all or most of their lives and who together with their families are contributing to the success of our economy and community, should as far as is humanly possible be given enough protection in regard to their nationality to ensure that they feel confident in continuing to live here after 1997.

In a different light, a deeply compassionate light, I also declare concern over British nationality for the ex prisoners of war and their aged spouses.

Miss Emily LAU has set out the case for the ethnic minorities and she has done so with eloquence and conviction. She has been an active and efficient convener of the Nationality Committee given the task of looking at the problem of the ethnic minorities. I will not repeat what she has said and will content myself by saying that our cause is a just one and that if we can successfully bind all or part of the ethnic minorities to Hong Kong by providing them with British nationality, we shall have done Hong Kong a great service.

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