which commemorates 945 Chinese members of the Merchant Navy and Commonwealth forces who died at sea and in various theatres of operation, including Mesopotamia, during the 1914-18 War and who have no known grave. Most were recruited in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
6. The memorial also commemorates 1,494 Chinese dead of the 1939-45 War from Hong Kong and Singapore, mainly merchant seamen, who have no known grave or, in the case of those who were buried, whose burial records were lost or destroyed during the Japanese occupation.
7. The names of the dead are recorded in the memorial registers but not on the memorial. On the memorial itself, added at the suggestion of the Chinese community in Hong Kong after the 1939-45 War, is an inscription (in English on the cross piece and in Chinese on the two piers) honouring
...the Chinese who died loyal to the allied cause...
in the two World Wars.
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SECURITY OF TENURE
8.
"
The sites of Stanley Military Cemetery and Sai Wan War Cemetery were granted to the Commission in perpetuity, whilst used as cemeteries, by the Governor and Commander-in- Chief of Hong Kong, by Deeds dated 29 January 1957 and 9 February 1953 (as amended 31 March 1977) respectively. Assurances against disturbance have been obtained from the local government or religious authorities in respect of the majority of the other Commonwealth war graves and memorials.
9.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemeteries Rules 1977, which regulate public conduct in Sai Wan War Cemetery and Stanley Military Cemetery, were enacted by the Hong Kong Government pursuant to the Public health and Urban Services Ordinance (Cap 132).
10. The Commission is actively considering what action may be appropriate to safeguard the war graves and memorials and its operations generally after 1997. A separate note is attached.
MAINTENANCE
11. The sites are maintained by the Commission's locally engaged staff consisting of a Group Supervisor, Mr Joseph B Yim BEM, and 8 gardeners.
12. As Stanley Military Cemetery contains civilian burials the Hong Kong government contributes one third of its maintenance costs to the Commission.
ERIAAB
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