British nationality law and Hong Kong the wording of "British Dependent Territories" with "British Overseas Territories" in "British Nationality Act, 1981" among other new provisions, further clarification was made even though this act did not even apply to Hong Kong. Section 14 of the subsequent "Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act, 2002", stated specifically that a person may not be registered as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong. A small group of Hong Kong ethnic minorities had not been eligible for acquiring British citizenship under the "British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act, 1997" because they were not ordinarily resident in
British Forces Overseas Hong Kong internal threats. The greatest test was in 1941, when Japanese forces invaded Hong Kong, leading to the 44-month-long Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Internal Security was the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government, in particular the Royal Hong Kong Police. It was supported by British Forces in Hong Kong should it be called upon to do so. During the Hong Kong 1967 riots, in which 51 people were killed, the British garrison supported the Royal Hong Kong Police in quelling the disturbance. Until 1995, the safety of much of the Sino-Hong Kong border was the responsibility of the British forces