But the government will consult mainland authorities on the possibility of treating the failed appellants as a special group when processing their applications for one-way permits, Ip said.

Granting amnesty to these people was not feasible as it was unfair and would encourage mainlanders to enter Hong Kong illegally, Ip told reporters.

"The director of immigration's discretion, as he has explained, can only be exercised exceptionally," she said.

"If you grant an amnesty on a blanket basis, you'll be creating unfairness to other people who have taken our advice to return to the mainland waiting lawfully for the chance to return to Hong Kong.

"You'll receive more complaints from these people and others may be encouraged to come to Hong Kong to try their luck. So I don't think amnesty is a good idea."

Under the current system of processing one-way permit applications, mainland authorities give five categories of people faster access.

They include mainlanders who were born after either one of their parents had become a permanent resident of the SAR; Hongkonger's infant offspring on the mainland; mainlanders with spouse in the SAR; and mainland offspring of Hong Kong residents and parents who could not look after themselves.

Ip again called upon the abode seekers to keep calm and refrain from making a radical response.

She asked them to accept the CFA verdict and voluntarily return to the mainland.

Spokesman of the abode seekers Cheung Cho-sang welcomed the government's suggestion, but he asked the Security Bureau to do it as soon as possible.

Also on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police Tsang Yam-pui explained that the police would not allow these abode seekers to demonstrate outside the Central Government Offices (CGO) at this stage as it would be difficult to keep the situation under control.

But he stressed that this was not an infringement on their right to demonstrate.

He also confirmed that the police had stepped up security at the CGO.

Meanwhile, about a thousand abode claimants marched from Causeway Bay to Chater Garden to protest against the CFA's ruling.

Arguments broke out between some of the protesters and passers-by as the procession caused obstruction to the area's traffic.

The protesters stopped briefly outside the High Court building to show support for the 22 abode seekers convicted earlier for setting a fatal fire at the Immigration Department headquarters.

Spokesman Cheung said they would keep a night vigil at Chater Garden before proceeding to the Immigration Department this morning to request the Director of Immigration Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong to exercise discretionary powers to grant them the right of abode.

He claimed they would not leave until they could talk directly with Lee.

(China Daily January 15, 2002)