失望的香港人敦促英國給其出路

A protester sits in front of a banner outside the British consulate in Hong Kong on January 20, 2015 (AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

2015年1月20日，英國駐港總領事館外，一位抗議者坐在橫幅下。（法新社圖片/ Philippe Lopez）

With Hong Kong increasingly polarised on political reforms and fears growing over the influence of Beijing, frustrated residents are pressing former colonial power Britain to offer them an escape route.

隨着香港政治改革逐漸兩極化和對中央影響力日益增長的擔憂，沮喪的香港居民敦促前殖民國家——英國給他們一條出路。

Their push for a new status that would allow them right of abode in Britain reflects their anger over what they see as a lack of support from the UK in their time of need.

新身份的爭取一旦成功，他們就將取得在英居留權。但這也反映出他們對英國在必要時並未給予足夠支持的憤怒。

It follows more than two months of pro-democracy protests, which failed to win concessions from the government on the way the city's next leader is elected, and ties in with concerns that civil liberties are being chipped away.

（爭取新身份的）行動發生時，香港的民主抗議活動已持續了兩個多月，但未獲得政府在特首選舉問題上的讓步，也讓人開始擔心公民自由正被逐步剝奪。

Before Britain gave the city back to China in 1997 it offered Hong Kongers a special "British National Overseas" (BNO) status to calm those worried about their future under Beijing's rule.

97年香港迴歸之前，爲紓解民衆對於重回中國治下的擔憂，英國曾給予香港人一個特殊身份——“英國海外居民（BNO）”。

Holders can enter the UK without a visa and get consular assistance abroad, but have no right to live in Britain.

持英國國民(海外)護照可免簽入境英國，在英國國外可享用英國的領事協助，但不具備在英居留權。

Around 400,000 Hong Kong residents hold the BNO passport and some are now calling on Britain to allow them residency as they seek to escape rising tensions.

約40萬香港居民持有英國國民(海外)護照。爲避開香港社會愈發緊張的形勢，他們中的部分人正呼籲英國給予他們在英居留權。

"It is an extra option for Hong Kong people -- it's a right they deserve," says Sampson Noble, a 30-year-old Hong Kong Chinese resident who runs the BritishHongKong campaign group.

中國香港居民Sampson Noble說：“這是擺在香港人面前的一個額外選項，這是他們應得的權利。”現年30歲的他是港英活動組織的負責人。

"I was born British," he added. "It should not relate to my ethnicity."

他還說：“我一生下來就是英國人。這和我的種族無關。”

Pro-democracy protesters' banners pictured outside the British consulate in Hong Kong on January 20, 2015 (AFP Photo/Philippe Lopez)

2015年1月20日，民主抗議活動人士掛在英國駐港總領事館外的橫幅。（法新社圖片/ Philippe Lopez）

The group's forum has 3,000 members and has sent letters to British lawmakers, as well as a statement to a UK parliamentary inquiry into Hong Kong's post-handover relationship with Britain.

該組織論壇現有3000名成員。除了致信英國立法委員外，它還向英國議會發出聲明，質詢迴歸後的港英關係。

In that statement the group called Britain's stance "discriminative".

在聲明中該組織稱英國的立場帶有“歧視性”。

"We were ruled for 156 years and we are being discriminated against," said Humphrey Lau, a campaigner for the group.

該組織的推動者Humphrey Lau說：“我們曾被統治了156年，現在又被歧視。”

"There is a feeling of being betrayed."

“這讓人有一種被背叛的感覺。”

Popular Facebook page "BNO Concern", which also calls for right of abode, has 6,000 likes with users dismissing their status as "rubbish" and pushing for change.

同樣在爭取在英居留權的熱門Facebook主頁“BNO Concern”，已被點贊達6000次，這些用戶因爲不滿意他們“垃圾”一樣的身份，正積極尋求變革。

Twenty- and thirty-somethings are particularly frustrated, says political columnist Martin Oei.

政治專欄作家黃世澤（Martin Oei）指出，年齡在20至30歲左右的年輕人感到特別沮喪。

"Young people are disappointed to see how Hong Kong is greatly affected by the 'Chinese way'," he said.

“年輕人對香港社會‘中國化'的現狀感到失望。”

Tents line a road at the main pro-democracy protest site in Hong Kong's Admiralty district on December 9, 2014 (AFP Photo/Isaac Lawrence)

2014年12月9日，在民主抗議活動主陣地——香港金鐘區，沿路搭建的帳篷。（法新社圖片/ Philippe Lopez）

"People now want to think of a way out."

“人們現在想要找到一條出路。”

- Desperate measure -

權宜之計

Before the handover, 50,000 selected Hong Kongers -- mainly white-collar professionals and civil servants -- were given British passports, but more than three million had to make do with BNO status.

迴歸前，5萬被選中的港人（以職業白領和公務員爲主）獲頒英國護照，但還是有超過300萬的人只能將就着英國海外居民（BNO）這一身份。

Signing up was optional and the status can be held alongside a Chinese passport.

相關登記是自願進行的，擁有該身份的人也可同時持有中國護照。

Applying was only possible before the handover, but holders can renew their BNO every 10 years for around HK$1,000 (US$130).

對該身份的申請只在迴歸前有效，且每10年更新一次，花費大約在1000港元（130美金）左右。

For 33-year-old Peter, a pilot, renewing his BNO passport is a desperate measure.

對33歲的飛行員Peter來說，更新英國國民（海外）護照只是個權宜之計。

"(It) is just like someone who is drowning would grasp whatever he can reach," he told AFP, saying the recent democracy protests spurred him to renew the document.

他告訴法新社記者，“這就好比一個人溺水時，會拼命抓住任何他能抓住的東西。”最近的民主抗議活動促使他將證件進行了更新。

People take photos of an installation of paper umbrellas -- symbols of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests -- in Causeway Bay on December 14, 2014 (AFP Photo/Alex Ogle)

2014年12月14日，人們在掛有香港民主抗議活動標誌——紙傘前拍照。（法新社圖片/ Alex Ogle）

The rallies were sparked by Beijing's insistence that candidates in the city's 2017 leadership vote must be vetted by a loyalist committee, which critics dismiss as "fake democracy".

引發集會的原因是，中央堅持2017年特首選舉的候選人必須經過提名委員會的審查，這被批評者認爲是“假民主”。

Attacks on outspoken media figures and the arrests of protest leaders have added to fears that Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status is eroding.

對公開發聲的媒體人進行攻擊和抗議活動領袖的被捕，加劇了人們對於香港半自治地位被削弱的擔憂。

Peter told AFP the failed protests proved "how we are ignored by our government and how helpless we Hong Kong people are".

Peter告訴法新社記者，這次抗議活動的失敗證明“我們是怎樣被政府無視，以及港人是如何的無助”。

"The BNO passport may save me one day, when Hong Kong is no longer a place for us and we cannot call ourselves Hong Kong people any more," he added.

他還說：“如果有天香港再無我們容身之地，我們不能再稱自己爲香港人的時候，英國國民（海外）護照或許還能救救我。”

- Saving face -

挽回顏面

Despite the growing calls, there is no sign that Britain will budge.

儘管呼聲日益高漲，但至今未見英國有讓步的跡象。

"There are currently no plans to amend British Nationality legislation to give holders of BNO status the Right of Abode in the UK, or to extend the right to apply for BNO status," a consulate spokeswoman told AFP.

英國領事館發言人告訴法新社記者，目前並沒有爲擁有英國海外居民（BNO）身份公民取得在英居留權或是放寬英國海外居民（BNO）身份申請權限而修改《英國國籍法》的計劃。

Critics are sceptical that Britain would ever risk its relationship with China over Hong Kong. UK Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire suggested the strictly-controlled election offered by Beijing could be "better than nothing at all", as he gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry on Hong Kong last week.

在香港問題上，批評者對英國是否會冒着損害中英關係的風險表示懷疑。上週，英國外交大臣Hugo Swire在議會對香港問題進行質詢時出席作證，認爲被中央嚴格管控的特首選舉“有總比沒有好”。

The creation of BNO status was itself widely seen as a bid to keep China happy by not offering Hong Kongers alternative citizenship. It also prevented an influx into Britain.

英國海外居民（BNO）身份的設立本身就被視爲博取中國歡心的一種手段，它並未給港人可供選擇的國籍。另外此舉也阻止了大量港人涌入英國。

"The key was to save face on the diplomatic arrangements," says Chung Kim-wah, assistant professor of social science at Hong Kong's Polytechnic University.

香港理工大學社會科學助教Chung Kim-wah稱：“關鍵是他們要在外交部署上挽回顏面。”

"The benefits for Hong Kong were not a primary concern."

“香港的利益並不是他們主要關心的事。”

Chung said young people's current discontent was "embarrassing" for China.

Chung還說年輕人的不滿讓中國感到“難堪”。

The older generation are demanding change, too -- Hong Kong residents who served Britain as soldiers have taken their call for right of abode to the UK parliament.

老一輩的港人也在要求變革，曾在英軍中服過兵役的香港居民已經向英國議會呼籲給予他們在英居留權。

Unless large numbers of BNO-holders can "create noise internationally" there is little chance of change, says Chung.

Chung表示，只有讓擁有英國海外居民（BNO）身份的人把事情在國際上鬧大，否則現狀就沒法改觀。

But for campaigners like Lau, there is no choice but to keep up the pressure.

但對像Lau這樣的推動者來說，已經沒有其他選擇，只能繼續施壓。

"If we stop it, we'll get nothing," he said.

Lau這樣說道：“一旦放棄施壓，我們就將一無所有。”