失望的香港人敦促英国给其出路

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，英国驻港总领事馆外，一位抗议者坐在横幅下。（法新社图片/ 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.

随着香港政治改革逐渐两极化和对中央影响力日益增长的担忧，沮丧的香港居民敦促前殖民国家——英国给他们一条出路。

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.

新身份的争取一旦成功，他们就将取得在英居留权。但这也反映出他们对英国在必要时并未给予足够支持的愤怒。

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.

（争取新身份的）行动发生时，香港的民主抗议活动已持续了两个多月，但未获得政府在特首选举问题上的让步，也让人开始担心公民自由正被逐步剥夺。

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年香港回归之前，为纾解民众对于重回中国治下的担忧，英国曾给予香港人一个特殊身份——“英国海外居民（BNO）”。

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

持英国国民(海外)护照可免签入境英国，在英国国外可享用英国的领事协助，但不具备在英居留权。

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.

约40万香港居民持有英国国民(海外)护照。为避开香港社会愈发紧张的形势，他们中的部分人正呼吁英国给予他们在英居留权。

"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.

中国香港居民Sampson Noble说：“这是摆在香港人面前的一个额外选项，这是他们应得的权利。”现年30岁的他是港英活动组织的负责人。

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

他还说：“我一生下来就是英国人。这和我的种族无关。”

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，民主抗议活动人士挂在英国驻港总领事馆外的横幅。（法新社图片/ 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.

该组织论坛现有3000名成员。除了致信英国立法委员外，它还向英国议会发出声明，质询回归后的港英关系。

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

在声明中该组织称英国的立场带有“歧视性”。

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

该组织的推动者Humphrey Lau说：“我们曾被统治了156年，现在又被歧视。”

"There is a feeling of being betrayed."

“这让人有一种被背叛的感觉。”

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.

同样在争取在英居留权的热门Facebook主页“BNO Concern”，已被点赞达6000次，这些用户因为不满意他们“垃圾”一样的身份，正积极寻求变革。

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

政治专栏作家黄世泽（Martin Oei）指出，年龄在20至30岁左右的年轻人感到特别沮丧。

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

“年轻人对香港社会‘中国化'的现状感到失望。”

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，在民主抗议活动主阵地——香港金钟区，沿路搭建的帐篷。（法新社图片/ Philippe Lopez）

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

“人们现在想要找到一条出路。”

- Desperate measure -

权宜之计

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.

回归前，5万被选中的港人（以职业白领和公务员为主）获颁英国护照，但还是有超过300万的人只能将就着英国海外居民（BNO）这一身份。

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

相关登记是自愿进行的，拥有该身份的人也可同时持有中国护照。

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

对该身份的申请只在回归前有效，且每10年更新一次，花费大约在1000港元（130美金）左右。

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

对33岁的飞行员Peter来说，更新英国国民（海外）护照只是个权宜之计。

"(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.

他告诉法新社记者，“这就好比一个人溺水时，会拼命抓住任何他能抓住的东西。”最近的民主抗议活动促使他将证件进行了更新。

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，人们在挂有香港民主抗议活动标志——纸伞前拍照。（法新社图片/ 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".

引发集会的原因是，中央坚持2017年特首选举的候选人必须经过提名委员会的审查，这被批评者认为是“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.

对公开发声的媒体人进行攻击和抗议活动领袖的被捕，加剧了人们对于香港半自治地位被削弱的担忧。

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

Peter告诉法新社记者，这次抗议活动的失败证明“我们是怎样被政府无视，以及港人是如何的无助”。

"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.

他还说：“如果有天香港再无我们容身之地，我们不能再称自己为香港人的时候，英国国民（海外）护照或许还能救救我。”

- Saving face -

挽回颜面

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

尽管呼声日益高涨，但至今未见英国有让步的迹象。

"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.

英国领事馆发言人告诉法新社记者，目前并没有为拥有英国海外居民（BNO）身份公民取得在英居留权或是放宽英国海外居民（BNO）身份申请权限而修改《英国国籍法》的计划。

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.

在香港问题上，批评者对英国是否会冒着损害中英关系的风险表示怀疑。上周，英国外交大臣Hugo Swire在议会对香港问题进行质询时出席作证，认为被中央严格管控的特首选举“有总比没有好”。

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.

英国海外居民（BNO）身份的设立本身就被视为博取中国欢心的一种手段，它并未给港人可供选择的国籍。另外此举也阻止了大量港人涌入英国。

"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.

香港理工大学社会科学助教Chung Kim-wah称：“关键是他们要在外交部署上挽回颜面。”

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

“香港的利益并不是他们主要关心的事。”

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

Chung还说年轻人的不满让中国感到“难堪”。

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.

老一辈的港人也在要求变革，曾在英军中服过兵役的香港居民已经向英国议会呼吁给予他们在英居留权。

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

Chung表示，只有让拥有英国海外居民（BNO）身份的人把事情在国际上闹大，否则现状就没法改观。

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

但对像Lau这样的推动者来说，已经没有其他选择，只能继续施压。

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

Lau这样说道：“一旦放弃施压，我们就将一无所有。”