Raping.
From the more reliable refugees in general and my friend in particular, I learnt that, since the surrender, molestation was not so bad as it might have been, i.e., nothing like that at NANKING or CANTON. Raping had been quite prevalent in the WANCHAI area, the red-lamp district, but it was now being discouraged by the gendarmerie. In fact, an appeal for help, if it could be made to a gendarme, would produce results. There was no story as reported in the Press about 11th March, 1942, that an entire district had been declared a brothel.
Refugees.
These were "encouraged" to leave. Mr. Wong, the WAICHOW District Administrator, said that they were passing through his district at the rate of 1000 per day.
There was apparently no difficulty in a Chinese getting a pass, as a refugee, even though the destination was reported as Free China. So it is evident that Hong Kong's swollen population will have been reduced far below its former state. As Some measure of assistance to refugees, the Japanese had provided a minimum quantity of rice for those going by the overland SHUM CHUN route and free water transport for those going by an alternative route.
CHUNGKING officials and other "wanted" people seemed to find no great difficulty in slipping through the Japanese frontier guards.
General.
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Scuttled shipping in the Harbour and elsewhere
was being raised.
An estimate made by a KUO MIN TANG Central Committee member, whom we met en route, put the number of Japanese troops in Hong Kong towards the beginning of January at not more than 3000 - 4000.
A Committee of 113 Chinese Justices of the Peace and business men had been summoned by the Japanese for the purpose of administrating the welfare of the Colony.