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MR. EASY: HONG KONG IS AN AWFUL PLACE TO LIVE, IF YOU ARE EITHER WEAK OR POOR, OR HAVE NO STRINGS TO PULL. IT'S A PARADISE FOR THE RICH, THE BUSINESSMEN AND THE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO LIVE IN AND ADMINISTER IT AND IT'S A NIGHTMARE FOR THE PEOPLE
HAVE TO LIVE AND WORK UNDER IT. THERE IS NO MINIMUM WAGE. THERE'S NO LAWS GOVERNING THE MAXIMUM HOURS OF WORK, THERE'S NO PAID MATERNITY LEAVE, THERE'S NO SICKNESS BENEFIT, NO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, NO INSURANCE PROVISION FOR WIDOWS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, NO COMPULSORY EDUCATION, NO FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT, NO RIGHT TO FREE ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION, A BAN ON ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, THE WORST HEROIN PROBLEM IN THE WORLD AND THE THIRD HIGHEST SUICIDE RATE. ALL OF THIS IN THE COLONY WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP TWENTY TRADING NATIONS IN THE WORLD.
N. ROSS: TRADE IS THE ESSENCE OF HONG KONG. CHEAP TRADE,
BUT AS THIS ONE TIME HONG KONG WORKER PUTS IT, CHEAP TRADE MEANS CHEAP LABOUR.
WORKER: ONE THING EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HONG KONG IS THAT A LOT OF THE FACTORIES ARE - WHAT WE CALL SMALL SCALE FACTORIES. THEY OPERATE USUALLY IN RESIDENTIAL FLATS, WHERE THE BUILDING ISN'T SUITABLE FOR SUCH AN UNDERTAKING AND IN SUCH A FACTORY THERE IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LIFHTING, AND MACHINES ARE NOT FENCED PROPERLY. ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT THERE IS AN INSPECTORATE OF LABOUR DEPAFTMENT, SUT THE AMOUNT OF INSPECTORS IS SO SCARCE THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TO GO ROUND AND IN CASE INSPECTORS COME, THE FACTORY CAN EASILY ZSEND THEM AWAY WITH A MINIMUM SUM OF MONEY.
N. ROSS:
THEY'R E ACCEPTING BRIBES, YOU'RE SAYING?
WORKER: YES, AND IN FACT I WORK IN A FACTORY AND I HAVE SEEN THEM BRIBED AND THEY GO AWAY.
N. ROSS: BRIBERY IS ENDEMIC - EUT THERE AT LEAST THE GOVERNMENT HAVE ACTED WITH AN ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION WHICH STARTED WORK SIX MONTHS AGO, BUT INCIDENTALLY, THAT SAME GOVERNMENT IS ACTUALLY A LAW UNTO ITSELF. THOUGH ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE FOREIGN OFFICE IN LONDON, IT'S OTHERWISE DEVOID OF DEMOCRATIC FORM. LABOUR M.P. JIM SILLERS DESCRIBES IT AS A 'SELF-PERPETUATING INCESTUOUZ INSTITUTION', NOR IS MR. SILLERS SATISFIED THAT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN LONDON, HASN'T INFLUENCED THE FOREIGN OFFICE ROLE.
MR. SILLERS: WELL. I DON'T WANT TO IMPUGN THE MOTIVES OF THE VARIETY OF FOREIGN SECRETARIES WE'VE HAD IN THIS COUNTRY BUT I'VE NO DOUBT IT IS A FACTOR AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE CRITICISSMS THAT WE HAVE BOTH OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THAT EVEN WITH A VERY LOW TAX BASE, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO RAISE SUBSTANTIAL MONEY IN A BUDGET SURPLUS AND OUR CONTENTION IS THAT THAT MONEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT IN KONG KONG TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
N. ROSS: ALL IN ALL, HONG KONG'S CRITICS PAINT A BLACK PICTURE OF ITS ADMINISTRATION. HONG KONG'S COMMISSIONER IN LONDON IS MR. TEDFORD KIDD.
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