do
Ms Royle
Can you
anythi to help us Is this Bill
this Bill legal?
H. Williams, Hong Kong resident.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
AUGUST 6 1924
28
1 Hong Keybo
Letters to the Editor
IMMIGRATION BILL
A BITTER PILL
Sir, It is no wonder that people in Britain are worried about the implications of the Immigration Bill, 1971. We who live in Hongkong have even greater cause for con-
cern.
If this Bill goes through, it will mean that Britons will be foreigners in our own Crown Colony. For those of us hold- ing British passports, describ ing us as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, this is nonsense. Is this a British Crown Colony or not?
If Government sent out a questionnaire asking its expatriate staff if they would like to leave Hongkong at once, provided they did not lose pensions or bonuses, the replies might well come as a shock.
Many of us are thoroughly fed up with this combination garbage pile/spittoon and we would leave in droves if we could do so without financial loss. That would take care of some of the 18,000 of us.
If the Bill is enacted, it will be a particularly bitter pill to swallow in the light of the hundreds of illegal immigrants being allowed to stay in Hongkong. Soon it may be that if one holds a British passport and is a U.K. citizen,
then one can't come freely into Hongkong but anyone who is able to swim across a bay t without being shot or eaten by sharks can.
No matter that the swimmer might be a "plant" or have a politically dubious background. As long as Government can quickly and painlessly (for them) deport British students or teachers, who ask too many awkward questions, they (Govt) won't care.
Why not deport the Chinese refugees to Taiwan?
Since the administration here pays not the slightest attention to what people in Hongkong think (particularly if they form part of the powerless minori- ty), I have written about this (along with a number of my friends) to British M.P.s, with a copy to our “Ombudsman” in London, Anthony Royle, as well as to several English newspapers.
Anyone having a grievance against the Hongkong Govt, (and that must cover quite a wide circle!) should get up similar petitions. Let the people in England know just what lunatic policies are being implemented in this supposedly British Colony.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51 -2 SEP 1971
EXILED ENGLISHMAN
Sprike 140€
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requira.
SPARE US FROM SUCH SERVANTS
Sir, -The resignation of Japan's Director-General of the Self-Defence Forces, Mr Keikichi Masuhara, because of the allegedly irresponsible act of one of his subordinates, is a fine example of ministerial responsibility for which British used to pride ourselves.
we
It can only be assumed that the relative department chiefs in our Hongkong Government are as deficient in any sense of honour or responsibility as they are so obviously of second rate ability.
In a number of glaring cases during my short stay in the Colony I have seen responsibility shirked or shrugged off by the relevant Commissioner or Director for some serious administrative error, or malpractice by a Government servant.
The higher organs of Govern- ment seem to back up and even reward those responsible for these errors as though they feel themselves imperilled by admitting inadequacy anywhere in their organisation.
This attitude is not conducive to the public welfare as Government servants must obviously be made to see that their future depends on the benefits received by the public and not because of the "old boy" network.
Your newspaper has in the last week carried reports on mini-bus protection starting again. No doubt some more inspectors will acquire new cars, furniture and jewellery.
In a few days after the usual tiresome formality of bringing the matter to Council, the Immigration Bill will be passed and I prophesy only a short wait until some new excess of bureaucratic injustice is produced with the expected denials and after a brief storm the return to the status quo.
Therefore, sir, I hope you will respect my use of a pseudonym since I fear the
of irresponsible acts uncontrolled "servants."
Our
TUNBRIDGE WELLS.
greed that Gladstone said that a successful Prime Minister must be a good butcher and one can
nymous only feel that the present seat of power, which I believe to be the n Colonial Secretariat, must
consider itself more to be a welfare department for broken- down and useless colleagues.
One could never imagine any efficient government, which is sensitive to public feeling the Australians provide another
recent example - allowing such 19 557664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2 inefficiency to continue by second class administrators.
For example, the Director who has in one year managed unnecessarily 10 antagonise new entrants to his department, unnecessarily to irritate the majority of expatriates whom his department serves and then capriciously disallows the use of an aid to his department's efficiency made by none other than Aunty BBC because of his own inhibitions.
Which Police Department in any civilised country would be able to remain undisturbed by the revelations of corruption such as those uncovered in the mini-bus racket. It is as though the Government wished to avoid the idea that the popular will could have any effect, whether justified in its aim or not. The consequence in this case is obvious; those responsible, feeling secure in their posts, will start again at their old tricks as soon as they are no longer brought into the public eye.