I UNDERSTAND that the ethnic minority of Hong Kong (referring largely to Indians and Pakistani citizens) is asking for the right of abode in the UK and to be granted British nationality, based on the grounds that these people will be rendered ''stateless''after June 30, 1997. I do not agree with this. If the members of this minority are citizens of Hong Kong, they should be treated in the same way as all citizens. All Hong Kong citizens should be treated fairly, regardless of their race. They claim they should be treated as a special case, because they have made such an important contribution to Hong Kong. But what contribution have they made compared with that made by others in Hong Kong, who are Chinese or from other ethnic groups? We have to look at their claims as objectively as possible. The British Citizenship Scheme is open to all, so why do we need another scheme that covers so few people and has such vague standards? It is far more acceptable than the scheme being proposed. Earlier generations of all races sacrificed a great deal to come here and worked very hard to make Hong Kong a success. Why should we separate people based on race? If there is uncertainty about what the future holds for us in 1997, we should face it together. Are we also supposed to give special treatment to those people in Hong Kong, who originally came from Macau? Our planet has been plagued by conflicts caused by ethnic divisions. Our Government must identify the problems that exist in Hong Kong and find some way of solving them. C. C. LAM Tsuen Wan
