CO129-514-3 Mui Tsai system- correspondence 27-8-1929 - 21-11-1929 — Page 128

MŨI TSAI. HONG KONG.

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The custom known as Mui Tsai has existed for ages

throughout China. The essence of the system is

"adoption" of young girls in exchange for a money

payment to their parents. The girls are employed

on domestic work, but are treated to a considerable

extent as members of the family into which they

have been adopted and it is a regular part of the

system that their "employers" should in due course

find them suitable husbands. The system is therefore

akin to adoption rather than to slavery.

The practice being deeply rooted in Chinese life

has continued to exist in Hong Kong since it became

british territory, but in so far as the "purchase" of

a Mui Tsai conveyed any rights over her person, the

system has never received any recognition by the law

of Hong Kong. In order to remove any doubts however, an Ordinance was passed six years ago, definitely

declaring the law on this point. The Ordinance

further made provision for the proper treatment and

protection of Mui Tsai.

The legislation already in existence therefore

does everything which can be done from the legal side,

to effect the abolition of the vestiges of slavery

in the system of Mui Tsai. The complete enforcement

of the law is however extraordinarily difficult

because the practice is so deeply rooted in

Chinese