News
2006-04-18
Hong Kong won't
recognize U.K. domestic-partnership law
The British
Consulate-General Hong Kong deems domestic-partnership
registration inappropriate.
Although 14
countries have agreed to let gay British citizens register
their domestic partnerships at the countries' British
consulates, Hong Kong will not be among them. The
government there rejected a request to allow British
same-sex couples to register their partnerships at the
consulate general in the former British colony, now a part
of China, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
In December 2005 the British government granted
gay people the right to create partnerships that give
them most of the rights of marriage. Under British
law, citizens are allowed to register their partnerships
overseas, provided the local government agrees.
According to a statement posted today on the
British consulate general's Web site, the Hong Kong
government decided it was inappropriate to allow such
registrations to take place.
"We consulted the Hong Kong government to ask if
there were any objections to the British
Consulate-General Hong Kong registering civil
partnerships of eligible same-sex couples under this
legislation," the statement said. "The [Hong Kong
government] has informed us that it does not consider
it appropriate to agree to the registration of civil
partnerships of same-sex couples at the British
Consulate-General Hong Kong at present."
There are hundreds of thousands of British and
British national passport holders in Hong Kong, which
has a population of 6.8 million. After being ruled by
Britain for 156 years, Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese
sovereignty in 1997. (The Advocate)
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