TNAG-2941-FCO40-4217-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 88

6.

8

could apply for "special" Chinese passports issued by the SAR Government.

This statement has not reassured the ethnic minorities for the following reasons:

(i) it was not formally confirmed;

(ii) the "offer" constitutes a mere right to apply in the future after the

transfer to sovereignty. Further, the application procedures and the

criteria to be applied in considering applications has

has not been

specified; and

(iii) it is unclear what rights these "special" passports would grant and

in particular, whether they would grant full Chinese nationality

(which is a matter for the Chinese rather than the SAR

Government).

The East African Situation

6.1

6.2

6.3

Under the Uganda Independence Act 1962 and the Kenya Independence Act

1963, Asians who did not obtain local citizenship by birth or option were

entitled to retain their status as citizens of the United Kingdom and colonies

after the transfer of sovereignty.

Ugandan Asians were given a 2-year time limit to obtain Ugandan nationality

and Kenyan Asians were entitled to obtain Kenyan nationality as a matter of

right.

The difficulties faced by the East African Asians under the policy of

Africanization introduced in the years following their independence resulted in a

change of British nationality laws in the form of the Commonwealth Immigrants

Act 1968 which restricted the right of the East African Asians to enter the

United Kingdom.

INDIAN RESOURCES GROUP