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district as I saw it, was as safe as it had been under British rule, if not safer, as these guerillas had the complete confidence of the villagers. This surprising state existed within two months of the influx of numerous bandits from China immediately following the withdrawal of the British forces from the New Territories.
I saw
Intensive training of new recruits proceeds in the hills a few miles from Japanese held points. these recruits under training, and their spirit was excellent. Livestock roamed the villages, and the guerillas fed on the meagrest diet of congee, salt vegetables and fish, as they lacked the funds to buy meat. Skin diseases are prevalent among them owing to their poor diet, but it is an inflexible rule with them to pay for what they consume.
I confess surprise at their treatment of captured Japanese and traitors. I cannot confirm that the former were sent as prisoners to the rear, instead of being automatically shot, but I had personal experience of their treatment both of bandits and spies. As a result. of a smartly conducted operation against a local gang of bandits, which had for some time infested the sea route from Tai Po in the New Territories to Sha Yu Chung in Mirs Bay, six were captures and the gang broken up. Instead of summary execution as I anticipated, the captives **** received an intensive lecture on their unpatriotic conduct which genuinely reduced them to tears, after which they were given money and released. The guerilla leader assured me that this method had been most successful hitherto } and although I retained my feeling of astonishment, I had to admit that the district was very free from banditry. Incidentally during this operation, a number of hostages were released, and much stolen property recovered. A11 identifiable property was scrupulously returned to the claimant on production of reasonable evidence of ownership.
Several spies in Sai Kung Market received similar reformatory treatment. The same tactics had been employed also, with success, in their relations with the advance guard of the officially recognised Sha Yu Chung Guerillas, with whom they worked on very amicable terms. I must add, however, that the latter dealt with spies and robbers in a summary manner, which I personally felt was more applicable to the local situation.
While there are many excellent points of comparison about these guerillas, I felt that they were, to say the least, indiscreet in their references to leading Chinese politicians. They owned and shewed undoubted loyalty to the Generalissimo and his policy of resistance and reconstruction, but held strong views about statesmen responsible for administring that policy. Their present troubles are very probably due to this attitude. Orders have been given to the military based at Wai Chau to harry them out of existence. The first move in this direction was to deprive them of a large store of arms in the Po Kat area, and to cut their lines of food supply from free China. I was present when the question was discussed by a third party with the general in charge of the military at Wai Chau, General Cheung Kwong King, of the 187th
My impression was that he was disposed to
Division.
visi