CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 694

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Ref.:

CO 537/1427

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

restrictions.

Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leale!

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Ref.:

CO 537/1427

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

2

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet. Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

by the noise (or explosi‹ 1) of an atomic comb, Surprised and in fear, not knowing what to do, they have, after ruming about (mking efforts) in sweats, obtained an interview with Mr. BARROW, District Officer of the NEW TERRITORIES, and have in tears prayed to him to transmit their appeal to his Superiors for the cancella- tion of the order already made.

Unexpectedly the Administration does not realise fully the grievous suffer- ings of the people given rise by having to feed and live in a separate and strange place and insists on carrying out (the plan) with force. That being so, your petitioners did not die at the time of the war when injuries were inflected by the enexy, but will die in days of peace when Allied nations are carrying out recon- structions, This is because paddifields, gardens and houses are the elements of the people's livelihood; and if these elements are lost, vitality will immediately become extinct.

Your petitioners would rather die by running against battle axes than by looking at one another (without making any move). They therefore travel a hundred "11" to grasp the shafts of Your Excellency's carriage in order to make their appeal and jointly to present this petition to which are appended two fundamental

185.BONS ; *

(3)

(1) The villages in PING SHAN, NEW TERRITORIES, began to be occupied (by people who) came during the Sung Era. A thousand years have elapsed since then. Their progeny and unity of course have a long history. Also their paddi-fields and land have been handed down and planned for through several tens of generations. It is thus that they (come to) possess such an unshakable foudation. Now, if all of a sudden the petitioners' paddi-fieilds, gardens, houses and burial places are pulled down by force, the act would not be unlike driving several thousand villagers to be trapped in a place of death,

(2) Now, the enemy having capitulated and dawning light having reappeared,

while justice is being upheld, the Authorities of your Administration should respect the position of petitioners' country which is an ally fighting abreast (with your country), and should therefore protect the homes and the property of the people of those villages in the territory leased from her.

FROM THE "TA KUNG PAO". SHANGHAI, 24th DECEMBER, 1945

The correspondent visited the PING SHAN district for first hand investiga- tion and interviewed the villagers. It is his object to make a more detailed report of the case to his countrymeri.

Where is PING SHAN? It is a village in the so-called "New KOWLOON aron". This area was created as the result of the special agreement entered into between BRITAIN and CHINA (after that notorious NANKING Treaty) in 1898 for the extension of the HONG KONG 1imits. The PING SHAN incident, moreover, does not effect that village alone, but involves a total of more than 20 villages, 12,000 villages are directly, and another 20,000 indirectly, affected by the affair. 100,000 Chinese now of land will be commandeered, involving an annual loss of 40,000 piculs of rise, hundreds of thousands catties of vegetables, and the demobilition of thousands of dwellings, This is to say villagers will be compelled to leave their homes which they have occupied for centuries.

The

Crossing the sea from HONG KONG, there is a highway leading to SHUMCHUN. PING SHAN, the centre of this incident, is about 25 miles from TSIMSHACHUI, the KOWLOON end of the ferry service, A few miles from PING SHAN is TUNMOON WAN. British plan is not only to build at PING SHAN an aerodrome for land planes, but also at TURMOONWAN an aerodrome for sea planes. Together, they will form an imposing aerial baso.

Shortly after the landing of British troops at HONG KONG, surveying work was commenced in the area. This indicates that the plans have been well laid before hand. On 2nd October, the British started road building activities and began to place "marks" on areas involved, when the suspicion of the population was raised.

On 12th October, the British Government, on the grounds of "public welfare" circulated notifications to the villagers to the following effect:

/"Let No. ....