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It is wholly incorrect to say that there are no bonâ fide adoptions Misconceptions of Chinese girls; if girls known to members of the Committee as adopted daughters are representative Muitsai, the system could be approved of without hesitation. The Statement that the adoption of daughters is not a custom recognised in China" is due probably to the fact that writers on Chinese matters use the word "adoption in a specialised sense. The adoption of daughters in 1920 was prob- ably as common in China as in England at that date. In neither country did it confer any status; the law did not recognise the adop- tion. This is what these writers meant.
In China adoptions are recognised by law now. It is assumed Adoption of girls by the Committee that these adoptions would be recognised by the Hong lawful in China, Kong courts where the domicile is Chinese.
Appendix- Chinese Civil Code.
adopted daughters
The Committee agree that it is desirable to make compulsory the Compulsory registration of adopted daughters. This would effectively prevent the registration of present difficulty of distinguishing between Muitsai and adopted daugh- advocated. ters and the raising of false pleas on prosecutions in respect of un- registered girls.
registration not to he expected.
To enforce registration is a different matter. As the Hong Kong Complete Government has frequently pointed out, to ensure complete regis- tration, a house to house enquiry would be necessary.
This enquiry would have to be repeated at regular intervals. Such an enquiry is neither practicable nor politic. There seems no reason why such re- gistration should not be introduced, except that disputants in England might draw false conclusions from any published figures with the consequent danger that the real interests of the children would be endangered.
Extended registration would encourage genuine adoption. Adopt- Registration ed parents would then no longer fear prosecution for having unregister- would encourage ed Muitsai.
genuine adoption.
While the Committee are of the opinion that the sale of girls, To prevent the for any purpose, is an undesirable practice, they doubt whether any sale ofen attempt to stop the practice could, for the present, be initiated by impracticable. the Hong Kong Government with any hope of success. Attempts to stop the practice, which are doomed to failure, are to be deprecated.
The Committee are of the opinion that a social revolution of this Revolution of magnitude is best achieved by indirect methods, such as propaganda, thought improvement of social conditions, child welfare work &c., &c.
necessary.
Few Chinese are domiciled in Hong Kong. The flow of the Chinese Chinese population between Hong Kong and the neighbouring provinces of China is considerable. The majority of Chinese in Hong Kong. whose stay is extended to years (and these are relatively few), still have their family houses and family tablets in their native villages.
population in Hong Kong not permanently resident there. See Appendix No. 20,
The facts seem to preclude vital legislation in Hong Kong on Legislation on matters affecting the status of Chinese, unless legislation is based on matters affecting similar legislation in China.
The Committee are of opinion that the compulsory release of Muitsai in fact as opposed to theory is undesirable if the interest of the children is to be considered. Much harm might be done as the Muitsai so released would become an easy prey to the White Slave Traffickers. Even indiscriminate return to their parents is dangerous as girls so returned are at times resold outside the Colony.
status should follow Chinese Legislation.
To separate uitsai and ous to Muitsai.
mistresses danger-
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