9
The Kowloon Walled City Kaifong Welfare Promotion Committee
27.
28.
The Kowloon Walled City Kaifong Welfare Promotion Committee is situated in its own premises at 46 Lo Yan Street, 4/F,
Kowloon Walled City. This Comittee which was rather active
and popular a few years ago has now lost much of its enthusiasm and support.
It has now only a membership of about 100 to 150 persons who either live or work in the Walled City (19).
influence over Walled City residents is very restricted.
Its
This
is partly because of the indifferent attitude of most of the
Walled City residents towards involvement in politics and partly
because of the fact that the Committee has achieved very little
in recent years and in fact does not have any programme of action.
The existence of the committee is known to almost everybody
living inside the Walled City, but very few people have direct contact with it. It is generally regarded as a political body
run by, and restricted to, a handful of leftists.
Previously, the Comittee collected one dollar per month from shopkeepers inside the Walled City. Since it was only a very small amount most shopkeepers paid without question. But many
shopkeepers have now stopped paying even this one-dollar
contribution because the Committee has so far achieved nothing
material for the benefit of the local residents.
The Role of the Committee
29.
One substantial function the Committee still plays is to act
as witness in real property transactions in the Walled City.
The Committee charges several hundred dollars for this service.
In fact, this is the main source of income for the Committee. Since the Committee acted as the witness, it was common practice for parties concerned to approach the Committee for the settlement
of disputes that arose afterwards. However, as decisions of the Committee do not have any binding power on parties concerned and more sifnificantly, as the Committee is rather inefficient in
playing this part, people now tend to approach the City Districc Office instead for mediation in disputes. Conscquently, even this role as 'witness' is dwindling in significance.