CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 695

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Ref.:

CO 537/1427 THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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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

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Ref.:

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

CO 537/1427

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

"Lot No.

being required for purposes of public welfare, it will be taken over by the Government within one month of the service of this notice. Compensatory measures will be dealt with in accordance with the Ordinance pertaining thereto promulgated in 1900 and revised in 1930. The owner is requested to appoint a representative to discuss with the Arbitration Board on the amount of compensation. Failing the appointment of such a represen- tative within one week, the Arbitration Board may designate one person to act on the owner's behalf.

Upon receipt of the notice, the villagers made inquiries and found out that "public welfare" referred to the building of the aerodrome, at the cost of the properties of the people who have held them for generations. A meeting was called and a "Village Protection Society" formed which unanimously decided to reject the offer to appoint representatives to assess compensation payments. At the same time a protest was sent to the Civil Affairs Officer for the NEW TERRITORIES and the Governor of HONG KONG was requested to revoke the decision. On 26th October, two representatives were sent to CANTON to appeal to General CHANG FA-KWEI and General LO CHO-YING to negotiate with the British Authorities to revoke the order. This was the start of the "PING SHAN Incident".

The HONG KONG Government ignored the villagers' protest, but instead intensified work activities day and night. The villagers at one time planned to lie on the areas where work was in progress in order to obstruct its progress, but on the advice of the elders, this proposal was not carried out.

On 16th November, several hundred villagers proceeded to HONG KONG on foot

Their and called on Admiral HARCOURT, the Governor, to lodge their appeal. action aroused the attention of the Police. They finally saw the Governor but did not get any definite reply. They also saw the Chinese Military Mission the same day.

In their petition to the Governor, the villagers stated, inter alia:

"..... We did not die under the oppression of the enmy in war, but appear to be destined for such a fate at a time when peace has come and an Ally is undertaking reconstruction.

deprived of our living.

For with the loss of our houses and land, we are

We have lived in these homes for more than 1,000 years, and driving

us away is tantamount to sentencing us to death .... At a time when the enemy has been defeated and justice is again upheld, the (HONG KONG) Government should respect the Chinese status as an Ally and give protection for the numerous villagers......

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This appeal, however, produced no result.

On 19th November, representatives were sent to see Special Foreign Affairs Commissioner KUO TEH-HUA and Mr. LI KUNG-YEN who was then sent by the Executive YUAN to HONG KONG to bring comfort to the Chinese residents. An appeal was made to the Central Government to start negotiations with the British Government for the cessation of work on the airfield, and for the retrocession of KOWLOON. message of appeal was also sent to General FAN HUA-KAO, head of the Chinese Military Mission, for transmission to Generalissimo CHIANG KAI-SHEK.

The

When the correspondent was in PING SHAN to make first hand investigations, all the villagers he met were filled with tragic indignation, at the same time waiting for word from our Government. Their feelings could only be understood by people who have lived in leased territories. They described to the correspondent their living conditions under the HONG KONG Government for years. The older people reopened the history from their memory, just as an adopted child would described to people his memories of his own parents. Despair was intermingled with hope, tears with smiles. They all hoped that the Chinese Government would send somebody to see actual conditions on which negotiations would be based.

AB to the HONG KONG Government, when its "public welfare" was understood and protested by the villagers, it is proceeding with its plans along two directions.

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Page 695Page 696

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