Government Urged to Tackle Right of Abode Issue Immediately

A majority of the respondents wants the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to provide an interpretation of the Basic Law in view of the possible influx into Hong Kong of mainland Chinese, according to a public opinion survey conducted on 9 and 10 May 1999 among 1,003 respondents aged over 18. The survey was conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and commissioned by the Better Hong Kong Foundation.

The survey, part of a series of issue-oriented surveys, was initiated by the Foundation to ascertain how Hong Kong people feel about the possible immigration of 1.67 million mainland Chinese to Hong Kong.

The survey also shows that an overwhelming majority of the respondents (94%) believe that the HKSAR Government should resolve the issue as soon as possible. This clearly reflects Hong Kong people’s grave concern over the issue.

When asked whether the HKSAR Government should wait until March next year to amend the Basic Law at the next full plenary session of the NPC, 70% of the respondents said no.

“We think this survey is most timely and important because Hong Kong people are very concerned about this issue,” said Mr George Yuen, Chief Executive of the Better Hong Kong Foundation. “It is in line with our objective to gauge the views of the people of Hong Kong and to reflect them to policy makers for consideration in the best interest of Hong Kong.”

When asked whether the HKSAR Government should seek assistance from the Central Government in case it was unable to resolve the issue, over 80% said it should, while only 12.7% felt otherwise. Should this be the case, some 72% of the respondents would not deem such assistance as intervention in the SAR’s affairs by the Central Government. Some 19% feel that this would be an act of intervention.

“The findings show that Hong Kong people are most anxious to see this problem resolved as soon as possible, even if it requires the involvement of the Central Government,” said Dr Timothy Wong Ka-ying, Research Officer and Director of Telephone Survey Research Laboratory of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies.

59% of the respondents do not think that Hong Kong should take in all the 1.67 million mainland Chinese as a result of the verdict of the Final Court of Appeal, while 34% think it should.

 

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The Better Hong Kong Foundation is a privately funded, non-profit, non-political organization, formed by leading Hong Kong business people. The Foundation aims to reinforce Hong Kong’s role as the regional leading, financial, shipping, trading and communications centre. It also serves to enhance greater international understanding between East and West. The Foundation is committed to facilitating communication between Hong Kong and China and the international community.