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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1980
GOVERNMENT HAS MORAL DUTY TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE NT VILLAGES ******
A NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGE ENJOYS A REAL, DEEP, AND HARMONIOUS COMMUNITY LIFE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS A MORAL DUTY TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE, SHA TIN DISTRICT OFFICER, DR PATRICK HASE, SAID TODAY.
DR HASE WAS SPEAKING ON INDIGENOUS VILLAGES WITHIN NEW TOWNS+ AT A MEETING OF THE NEW TERRITORIES LIONS CLUB.
HE SAID IT HAD BECOME ACCEPTED THAT WHERE A VILLAGE HAD TO BE MOVED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE GREATER GOOD OF THE WHOLE POPULATION OF HONG KONG, THE COMPENSATION OFFERED SHOULD BE SUCH THAT THIS COMMUNITY LIFE WAS NOT EXTINGUISHED BUT RELOCATED TO A NEW SITE TO CONTINUE AS BEFORE,
+ IT IS CONCEDED IN OTHER WORDS THAT CLEARANCE OF AN INDIGENOUS VILLAGE INVOLVES MORE THAN MERELY THE BUYING OUT AND REMOVAL OF A GROUP OF LANDOWNERS- IT INVOLVES THE RELOCATION OF A PRE-EXISTING COMMUNITY.+
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DR HASE SAID WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AREA OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN, THERE EXISTED IN 1973 -- WHEN WORKS STARTED NO LESS THAN 42 INDIGENOUS VILLAGES, WHERE SUCH A COMMUNITY LIFE EXISTED, TOGETHER WITH A FURTHER THREE ON THE EDGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREA.
IT WAS EVENTUALLY DECIDED THAT SEVEN OF THESE VILLAGES, ALL VERY SMALL, WOULD HAVE TO BE RELOCATED, BUT THAT THE REMAINING 38 WOULD REMAIN IN SITU, HOPEFULLY AS CONTINUING VIABLE COMMUNITIES.
NONETHELESS, IT WAS ALSO IMPORTANT TO REALISE THAT THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF A VILLAGE WAS INFLUENCED VERY STRONGLY BY ITS PHYSICAL SETTING.
WERE THE PHYSICAL SETTING OF THE VILLAGE TO COLLAPSE INTO A SUBSTANDARD COLLECTION OF SEMI-RUINOUS HOUSES, THEN THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT WOULD DISAPPEAR TOO- THE WEALTHIER VILLAGERS WOULD LEAVE AND THOSE LEFT BEHIND WOULD LOSE HEART.
+SINCE THE PRESERVATION OF THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS CLEARLY SOMETHING OF SUBSTANTIAL VALUE, THE PRESERVATION OF A DECENT PHYSICAL SETTING FOR THE VILLAGE IS EQUALLY SO, DR HASE SAID.
HE SAID IN RURAL VILLAGES STANDARDS OF DRAINAGE, FOOTPATHS, STREET LIGHTING AND TOWN PLANNING NEED NOT BE TO THE SAME LEVELS AS IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY, ALTHOUGH, OF COURSE, THEY SHOULD BE OF A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH STANDARD TO MEET NEEDS OF RESIDENTS.
/HOWEVER