Public servants serving in all government departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must be permanent residents of the Region, except where otherwise provided for in Article 101 of this Law regarding public servants of __________.

The correct answer identifies that public servants of a certain category may not necessarily need to be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Article 101 of the Basic Law provides that while public servants generally must be permanent residents, exceptions apply to those who come from foreign nationalities. This means that there are specific roles or situations where individuals who are not permanent residents but hold foreign nationality can serve in government positions.

The context of this provision supports the need for flexibility within the public service framework to allow the Hong Kong government to tap into expertise and experience from outside the region, which can be beneficial to its governance and operations. This is particularly relevant in positions that may demand specialized skills or knowledge that are not available among permanent residents.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the context of Article 101. Foreign diplomats, for instance, have their own specific guidelines regarding their status and roles in diplomatic service, and they are not categorized under public service as defined in the Basic Law. Foreign tourists are not eligible for public service roles at all, and foreign residents would generally need to be permanent residents to meet the basic requirement set out for public servants in general. Therefore, the only appropriate category that fits the exception of needing permanent residency is individuals