葉錫恩
E. ELLIOTT.
TEL. K.801815
OFFICE: £,831998
OUR
BEF:
YOUR REY:
8th. July, 1968.
216, Prince Edward Road,, KOWLOON.
Dear Mr. Fisher,
I hope you do not mind my repeatedly writing to you on the question of corruption, because I feel that if I can convince you, who so strenuously expressed disbelief, I shall find one who will just as strenuously fight against it. Corruption is the major cause of di660atent and mismanage- ment, and is a pre-requisite to any improvement in the government system or laws here.
1
action
When I read the reports of "investigations" by Lord Shepherd I hope
am not too bad for smiling and thinking that his name would be better if it were "sheep", since he follows blindly what he is told by the colonial secretariat here, and this department is not known for its honesty.
I am sending you two letters I have received on corruption, by members of the public; they may themselves be government servants. If they are honest government servants they will not dare to give their real names or their addresses, because reporting corruption invariably ends in sacking, or at least demotion.
I have loads of information myself, but it takes a long time to document evidence when you are too busy, and when you have no access to records, while the Government, especially the police, keep silence if you ask for an investigation.
To try to prove to you that the Government protects corruption, let me tell you about a member of the Hawker Control Force (I think he was of corporal rank) who admitted to corruption. This young man, about 2 years ago, feeling guilty in his conscience, went to the Anti-Corruption Branch and reported that he was sorry, he had collected bribes, and all the men at his office had done likewise. He was arrested, convicted and served a year in prison. None of the others were arrested or even investigated. Everyone knows that the Hawker Control Force does only one job money from hawkers and summonses those who, do not pay the required bribe. That they do not control hawkers is obvious to anyone.
collects
The Government is using the jargon of the early colonials in Captain Elliot's day (1840s) when they say that corruption is a Chinese way of life. Bear me out that corruption was a way of life in officialdom in Britain in Walpole's day. China has had two revolutions since then, and
It suits a revolution in the outlook of young people is taking place today. the government's purpose to gloss it over in this way and perpetuate the evil. In every department there are some European who join in the rackets, especially in the Public Works Department "The poor people hate corruption because it denies them of their rights. It is undermining the security. of the colony, but the corrupt people do not care: those who do not escape to Britain when trouble comes no doubt have their money invested in America.
inquiry?
May I keep you informed, in the hope that you will demand an
Yours sincerely,
Elie Elliat