Editorial in CANTON DAILY SUN, 9th January, 1948.
NO MAH JONG PARTY.
The Provincial Assembly yesterday went on record in urging the Central Authorities to take strong action against the Kowloon city affairs in which the Hong Kong police demolished shacks occupied by 2,000 Chinese. The Assembly also asks Mr. T. W. Kwok, Commissioner of Foreign Affairs for Awangtung and Kwangsi, to appear before the Assembly and to make a report on the matter under his jurisdiction. Further the Assembly will send a deputation to Hong song to comfort the evicted Chinese and to investigate into this matter.
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The Hong Kong Government gave notice to the Chinese residents in the walled city to move out "for sanitary reasons". Hong Kong insists that the area is a part of the territory leased to Great Britain by China, and it appears that Britian as lessee has power to deal with the property. This view was apparently shared by Foreign Minister Wang Shih-chish when he made a report some three
This news weeks ago to the People's Political Council. item was published in this and another paper, and why it was not generally published comes as a mystery.
But the Chinese residents in the disputed area took for granted that they are living in Chinese territory under Chinese sovereignty and that the Hong Kong authorities
Nevertheless the Hong "ong had no power to evict them.
Government repeated its determination to tear down the huts,
while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nanking failed to make public its decision. Reading the report of Foreign Minister Wang, one had the impression that he agreed with the measure of the Hong Kong Government. But the walled city residents assumed that their position was backed up by their government and refused to comply with the order of eviction. All the time Manking did not make known its decision. Before the eviction on Jan.
5, no one knew how the matter stood from the official Chinese viewpoint.
After the demolition was carried out, Nanking sent a protest. It was too late. Why did not the showdown If the Ministry come earlier? This secrecy is deplored.
of Foreign Affairs considered that Hong Pong was not justified in breaking down the shacks, its position should
Some Chinese officials be clearly known well in advance. consider their job is just a game of Mah Jong which concerns only four persons. This is wrong.
Government officials
a duty to the people and should tell them how they stand. Secrecy is justified up to a certain point, but at the proper moment the official position must be made clear. Now a protest is no use.The 2,000 people have lost their homes. If diplomatic protection to people in Kowloon which adjoins Kwangtung cannot be given, what would Chinese in foreign countries expect? Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclose its position from the beginning so that public opinion can be enlightened.
This is not game of Mah Jong, but serious business.
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