Untitled Document

Christians in Support of the Right of Abode for Children of Hong Kong Residents

January, 2002

We are Catholics and Christians from different churches. We believe that it is God's wish that human beings should live in harmony. Unfortunately, the already tense relationship between different communities in Hong Kong has deteriorated in the wake of the campaign for the right of abode of children of Hong Kong residents.

Hong Kong is now deep in an economic downturn. It is natural that we feel helpless, if not resentful, in the face of these hardships. Putting our feet into the shoes of the abode-seekers and their families, imagining how your children would feel if they were forced to leave their parents and live alone in another part of the world, we just cannot but feel sad and painful.

Moreover, many of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents came via various channels to Hong Kong many years ago. We are all migrants in similar situations as the abode-seekers who have been refused their right of abode today. The only difference is that they came at a different time and had been allowed to stay. We should not turn a blind eye to this issue and allow families to be torn apart. Despite the reinterpretation by the National People's Congress (NPC) of the Basic Law and the fact that many of them may face being repatriated by force, still we cannot deny their blood connection. The people who have been refused the right of abode are children of Hong Kong residents. They are victims. There will only be more of these sad stories and more social tragedies if this right cannot be protected. The society as a whole will have to pay a high price.

Being Christians, we believe that the right to family unity is a basic human right. It is one of the pillars for a stable society. We therefore sincerely call on:

(1) Hong Kong people to welcome these children of Hong Kong residents to join their families in Hong Kong; we are in the same boat;

(2) The Hong Kong government to promulgate a waiver so that all children of Hong Kong residents who have filed a case of abode can stay;

(3) The Hong Kong government and the mainland Chinese government to work out a mechanism that is fair, reasonable and effective so that all children of Hong Kong residents can come and be reunited with their families.

We hope that we can learn to be compassionate and empathic from this issue and that we will extend a helping hand to whomever is in need and will build a better tomorrow together.

(The joint statement signed by 248 Christians was published as an advertisement in Ming Pao on Jan. 24, 2002)