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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
MUI TSAI PROBLEM ISSUES.
(Continued from Page 2.)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1929.
the slave girl has more or less been repressed into submission to the mistress or 'master; and naturally, she does not dare to speak out her mind against the owner. Second: the neighboura who have reported the case of It the law of the Colony prohibits cruelty to the Anti-Mui · Toni both sly prostitution and inden- Society do not as a rule have the tured labourers and does not con- courage to testify oponly in court. dong them as I does the Mul Tsal Anyone who is familiar with the system on grounds of poverty. psychology of the averago Chinese It la repellant, is it not to the mind can appreciate and under- moral integrity of the British stand. Unless the Anti-Muf Taai Government to condono sly pro-Society can have tho co-ordinated stitution and Indentured labour? efforts of the witnesses and the Then, also, if the law forbida a Governmat officere, it is quito man becoming voluntarily an in- impossible to adduce clear and un- dentured labourer, hew much doubted evidence in all cases of more should it forbid forcing a cruelty brought before the Secro- little girl to become a Mui Tanitary for Chinese Affairs. against her will. ▪་
7. You have made the sugges The connivance at the sale and tion of changing the Anti-ful purchase of human beings also en- Taal Society into a society for the courages indolent and pernicious protection of childron. Our characters in the Colony to exploit Society cannot fall in with such a it as an ensy livelihood. The suggestion; that is not our specifie owners and advocates of Mui Taal object. Our Society aims' primari- invariably think that they are doly to effect a gradual emancipation ing the poor a good turn by buying of the Mui Tsal and the only way their giris, but, unwittingly, they that the abuses of Mui Taai can. betray their true colours when be remedied is through registra- they try to drive a hard bargain tion, which is a provision made in with the poor parents who sell Part 11 of the Ordinance passed their daughters. In nine cases out
in 1923 as above.intimated." of ten, in the light of experience of this Society, the owners insist on gelting a bargain. As an example, if a slave girl is sold for $60, the owner can and will force 'he poor mother or the seller to insert in the sale note or "Pro-Authorities could do nothing to sentation enrd" us is called in remove the evil. But there is now Chinese, the sum of $120.00, every opportunity for greater especially if the torms are on the cohesion of efforts between the basis of being able to redeem the Hongkong and Canton Authorities, gle in the future. There is eer- tainly very little kindness shown in shylock-like method of exacting the pound of flesh,
An Old Custom.
In the last analysis, the sale and purchase of girla is not due to pressure of poverty so much as be cause it is a custom in China to think more of boys than girls, The advocates of the Mui Tani system, not infrequently, use the stock argument that if poor giris were hot bought an, Mul Tasi they would be drowned or left to perish by starvation. ls it not strange, however, that we have not heard It anid of boys?
Enough, however, has been sald to suggest that the selling and buying of Mui Tsai Is traceable mainly to the fact that girls in China have been held in lower estimation than boys.
|
Canton and Hongkong.
8. The argument has been used times without number that unless the Chinese Government takes a lead in putting an end to the Mul Tsai
system, the Hongkong
The Chinese Government has recently done two things which should strenghten the hands of the Hongkong Authorities and there is not sufficient excuse for the continuance of a system in n British Colony, which is Now illegal in China.
The new Chineso Criminal Code makes it possible for action to be taken which is in accordance with British traditions, namely, Article 313 of the Code says: "Whoever causes another person to be a slave, shall be punished, with imprisonment for n term of not less than one year, nor mora than seven years,"
This should apply to the sale and purchase of Mui Tani in the Colony. All those sellers, buyers and go-betweens alike who engage in burtering Mui Tsal are now punishable under the new Chinese Criminal Code. In additional to this Code, the Government In Can- lon is to-day taking drastic steps to abolish the Mul Tanl system throughout South China and a law to that effect has duly been pro- mulgated sometime ago.
5. Again, the argument has been sedulously urged that people who punish Mui Taal also punish thoir own children. It is true, if you spare the rod, you spoil the child and therefore it is essential to exercise discipline over one's own 9. Another charge that has been children as well as the Mui Tasi.brought against this Society 19 But a tle reflection on the man- that the Mui Tsai fasue is never ner of chastising the Mul Tsai and a live one-merely stirred up by a one's own children will soon make | handful of Chinese Christians. one realize that there is an According to our opponents, the essential differenco between the majority of the Chinese are not in two and a very fundamental favour of enforcement of registra- paychological difference at that. tion. This assumption may be too Let us not forget that the hasty. We need but to look back chastisement of the Mui Tsai nay upon the inception of the passing be endless during the day, because of the Ordinance in 1923 and soon she, belug a bond slavo, in nt the will be convinced of the fact that tender mercy of every member of the cause had won the unanimous the Chinese family. From the support of the bulk of this Colony, oldest to the youngest, she must consisting of the various classes, study their whim and fancy. On merchanta and labour alike. the lightest provocation the MulThen, too the mere fact that Tani gets more than her portion the Anti-Mui Tani Society still of birthing. In a word the owner retains A membership of five of a Mui Tsal is generally a much- or six hundred of the original pampered woman, who looks upon number, constituting more than a the girl as a buft to work off her thousand, is a clear and undoubted private spite and Irritation. The evidence that our organisation is inore intense the domestic very much alive. In this con- disharmony, the wilder the furynexion, it may be mentioned that that is likely to be vented on the our Society is to-day supported Mui Tani.
strongly by the Chinese and Children in the Chinese family foreign press in this Colony. If do not have to bear such a lot a vote were taken, we would have of bullying as the Mui Tsai, Even the approval of a decidedly large if Chinese children receive fre- majority.
quent beating from their parents, 10. With a view to making the more likely than not there is some-suggested regulations for registra- one ready at hand to inferçede on Lion as comprehensive and practi- their behalf, In the case of the cable as possible, I am entrusted Mul Trai, no one in the family ever by the Committed to insert the dures to intervene. On the con- undermentioned clause which has trary, the thrashing of Mui Tsal been omitted in the draft submitt- is usually takén as a matter of ed you sometimo ago: course, and most of the Chinese family remain quite callous to any form of cruel treatment meted out to the girl.
has
"After the registration been put into forco, if there are owners who, rather than assume registration, and wish to pinca their Mui Tsaj under the pro- tection and control of the "Go- vornment on the plea of being unable to restore the girls to the custody of their parents, they may do so; provided the ownera wii defray the expenses of maintenance for the girls."
It is true, there are some mis- tresses who may treat their Mui- Tsai almost as kindly and wisely as their own children, but in the light of our experience, those canos are few and far between. Evidence aplenty can be brought forth to show that the lot of the Mui Tani ta exceedingly hard and
In the humble opinion of this most trying. The life of the Mui Society, the Mui Teal problem can- Tsai is a painful drudgery, to say not be ignored for It bears closely the least. Her accommodation is upon the rapidly changing condi wrotched, food poor and haphazard,Į tions in China and is bound to be generally leavings from family actively pressed with greater em- table and leisure is conspicuous by phanie as the years pass.-Yours, Its absence.
faithfully,
I need scarcely dwell much longer on this point. Bush wooful. Lalo should be familiar enough to the Chinese Secretariat.
6. The advocates of the Mui Tani system have often said that
HON SECRETARY. Brief Acknowledgment. The Hon. English Secretary, The Ant! Muf Taal Society. Hongkong, April 5, 1929.
there le not sufficient evidence of acknowledge the receipt of your Sir I have the honour to cruelty and ill-treatment to justify letter. of March 21, 1929 on registration. Navortheless, .ft must be borne in mind that it is the subect of Muf Teal in Hong- extremely difficult to obtain direct kong-I have, etc., ovidence of cruelty. In nearly all enans reported to the Secretary for Chinese Affaire, the Anti-Mui Tšal Society is "confronted with this difficulty. The explanation is not
R. A. C. NORTH. Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
Further Letter.
May 8, 1929. Hon. Mr. L A. C. North,
far to feek. First, the psychology Secretary for Chiness Affairs,
ROUND THE WORLD zemes. NažĮ
pf the Mul Tsal must be considers Hongkong, ed. Through yehra" of servitude,
Continued on Page 10.1
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