LONDON (PTI): Thousands of Hong Kong Indians, who have contributed immensely to Hong Kong’s prosperity, are desperately looking towards Buckingham Palace for a last minute intervention as Britain has decided to desert them as “stateless subjects” of the queen when the colony is handed over to China after 1977.
The Ethnic Indian community in Hong Kong has been offered two options, cither continue as stateless Hong Kong resident with Hong Kong certificates of identity as travel documents, or apply for special Chinese passports from the post1997 Hong Kong special administrative region.
There is confusion about the criteria for such passports and the difference in their status as compared with Hong Kong Chinese.
The British sources here fully acknowledge the fact the ethnic India community first came 10: Hong Kong because it was Bnitish colony. It is still recalled in British documents that some 2,700 Indian troops and a small number of Indian merchants had watched the ceremony when the British flag was hoisted in Hong Kong in 1841.
Still they are being denied full British nationality after 1997. They don’t hold passports of any other country. Their fears have been confounded by a report last year by the international commission of justice which said when China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong; the ethnic minorities will be effectively stateless.
There is. Widespread concern among the 8,000 and odd ethnic Indians that China may not treat its ethnic minorities well.
There is wide support within Hong Kong’s Parliament for a review of the British government’s decision. British Government, however, appears adamant. Its position is that after 1997, Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities without claim to any other passports will be left holding either British nationals (Overseas) (BNO) citizenship or British Overseas Citizenship (BOC).
Article extracted from this publication >> February 26, 1993
