TNAG-0585-FCO40-718-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 256

3.

THE EVIDENCE THAT CHILD LABOUR IS NOT INCREASING 1973-1975

The number of detected cases has increased:

1973

1974

1975

Cases Detected

251

303

349

Number of children

involved

286

412

350

Prosecutions

215

321

306

Convictions

202

313

298

The percentage of industrial undertakings inspected and illegally employing children are as follows:

1973

1974

1975

0.33%

0.27%

0.27%

4.

There is thus no evidence in these years of increasing

use of child labour, only of greater success in detection

REASONS FOR FAILURE TO CONVICT

The main reasons were the failure of child witnesses to

appear in Court, the closure of offending small factories and the subsequent disappearance of the proprietor and the lack of evidence of proven age.

5.

LEVEL OF FINES

The

The level of fines is a matter for the Courts.

regulations provide for a maximum fine of HK$5,000 for the offence of employing a person under the age of 14.

6. TRIAD SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT

There is no evidence of TRIAD society involvement in recruiting child labour. I believe there were allegations in an article in a Hong Kong post-secondary college periodical. This article was based on a survey which was apparently conducted in only 10 factories out of the total of 33,500 industrial undertakings. It can hardly be considered a reliable sample.