Heart-rending pleas fail to sway officials
Immigration officials yesterday rejected the pleas of a teenage right-of-abode seeker to stay with her twin sister, and appeals from a 73-year-old claimant to remain in Hong Kong to take care of his 95-year-old father.
Lin Yeung-ming received the letter of rejection from the Immigration Department on her birthday yesterday when she turned 19 - an age that bars her from obtaining a one-way permit, for which only children aged under 18 can apply.
Li Xiru, 73, who received a similar letter yesterday, said he would break the news to his father, Li Lik-fan, 95, when he visited him this afternoon. It will probably be his last visit before he goes to the mainland tomorrow.
Yeung-ming and Mr Li lost their right-of-abode claims under a ruling on January 10 by the Court of Final Appeal, but had asked to stay on humanitarian grounds. The pair, who were yesterday ordered to leave before Sunday or face removal, said they were disappointed and accused the Government of being cold-hearted.
Officials said after the Court of Final Appeal ruling they would consider allowing applicants to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The letter sent to Yeung-ming said: 'After serious consideration, it is considered that your case does not have sufficient humanitarian and compassionate grounds to support your request to stay in Hong Kong with discretionary approval.'
She said: 'I was very anxious when I opened the letter, wondering if it would be good news or bad news. I felt very disappointed as I read through it. It's my only hope. I had to hold back my tears as I don't want to further upset my dad. I will not leave.'
Yeung-ming's father, Lin Jiaxiang, said: 'I'm very upset. Our only hope has now been dashed.'
Her twin, Yuk-oi, who is just five minutes older, said: 'I will not let her go. She'll have no chance to come back.'
It will be the second time Yeung-ming has faced forcible separation from her sister. She first lost her chance to settle in Hong Kong with Yuk-oi in 1996 when mainland authorities told their parents to choose just one to accompany them to Hong Kong.
Unable to choose, Mr Lin asked them to play three games of paper-scissors-stone and watched as Yeung-ming lost and fled the room in tears.
Legislators, support groups and Yeung-ming's teachers have voiced concern over the twins' plight since their case was highlighted in the South China Morning Post in January.
While Yeung-ming said she would not leave Hong Kong, Mr Li said he would return to the mainland. 'I feel very upset. I will go back. What is the use of staying here? I didn't expect that they would force me to return,' he said.
An Immigration Department spokesman said it would not comment on individual cases.
Coadjutor Bishop of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, urged Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to expand the concession policy to allow abode seekers such as Yeung-ming and Mr Li to stay.
