CO129-514-2 Mui Tsai system- suggested regulations and possible abolition 9-1-1929 - 16-5-1929 — Page 153

155

non sequition-

many

have

doubt come

from China.

62758/29 NO.

wo

in

"H.K. Weekly Press" Sept. 3rd. 1921

(34613/22)

1923 forbade the taking into employment of any

fresh mui tsai. The number of legal mui tsai is

therefore decreasing year by year. The Government

has no exact information of the existence of illegal mui tsai (if it had it would take legal proceedings against the alleged

and although such

"

probably exist, the total number, legal and illegal,

is believed to be lower than in 1923.

4. "The number sold for prostitution is

increasing".

No evidence is produced to support this statement.

5. Reference to concubinage

Although a lover status than that of a wife,

concubinage is regarded as perfectly respectable by

Chinese and is no disgrace at all.

6. "No questions asked".

The usual "deed of presentation" in use before

such presentations were forbidden provided that

parents of mui tsai might visit them periodically.

7. "In a typical case that came before the courts the child was brought in covered with burns". This probably refers to a case in 1921 when the woman guilty of this cruelty was sentenced to three

months hard labour. It is utterly false to imply that

such a case is typical of the treatment of mui tsai. Cases of cruelty to children.occur in Hong Kong as in this country, but they are rare and as often as not

they are cases of ill-treatment of own sons and

daughters, not mui tsai.

8.

•