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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as this day is the only day when elected representatives of the people are officially permitted to speak on important issues outside the narrow jurisdiction of the Council. I do not intend to spend my limited time telling you what you already know from our Annual Report. I merely want to thank all our staff and especially those who have worked hard to make our libraries available and attractive in every district, and then pass on to matters which I believe have an impact on the people at the grassroots.
Social Welfare
The inequalities of our society have recently been pinpointed by the imprisonment of a woman struggling to feed the six children for whom her husband, allegedly the owner of three flats and three shops, took no responsibility. The woman, the householder of two rooms in public housing, was forced by violent methods to live with her six children in the small room while her husband occupied the medium room in a public housing estate. Social workers and estate staff failed to notice, or if they noticed, failed to rectify the injustice or give the help required. Instead, when the woman in her desperation obtained relief from public funds she was allegedly not entitled to, the law took its vengeful course on the woman but left the man free to oppress her and continue his selfish ways.
I am fully aware that injustices exist in all societies, but nowhere, I know, are they more blatant than in Hong Kong. The hierarchy of the Government here is intensely concerned about its own high salaries boosted far beyond inflation levels, its own subsidized housing, its fringe benefits, long and short leave with first-class air passages; the Government is concerned about maintaining the profitability of all public utilities which already show unbelievably high profits—but what does it care about widows, widowers, deserted families, the aged, the sick, the infirm, and the handicapped? They simply throw a few crumbs as if feeding dogs, and do a public relations exercise to show how they care for the poor. Inflation can go on for years before their cry for help penetrates the ears of the complacent people who sit on councils and smile at each other, pat each other on the back, and call each other by their Christian names, while they praise this Council for providing them with choice cultural entertainment. They even despise anyone who speaks for the poor.
Social workers, pressure groups, and other concerned people have demanded a more responsible social welfare system, which gives the needy and the handicapped the dignity to earn and improve their living standard while still depending partly on public assistance. The present system crushes the initiative to work instead of encouraging it, and it must be changed quickly. Self-help and public assistance must go hand in hand and not be in legal conflict.
Rehabilitation of Minor Offenders
Still among the underprivileged, please consider these examples. A boy of 13 picked up a piece of metal from a building site and was arrested by detectives who saw him do it. He was sent to court and put on bond. Now, at the age of 31, eighteen years later, he is unable to emigrate because he has a 'criminal' record. A fair policeman would have made him put back the piece of metal and explained that that was stealing and he had better not repeat the offence. A fair magistrate would have acquitted the boy of the minor charge with a similar explanation, as indeed some of our better magistrates already do. A fair legal system would, in any case, have cleared the boy's record after a year or two. He should not be treated as a criminal 18 years later.
A boy of 15 was accused of triad connections. Though he pleaded not guilty, he was found guilty and put on probation. Twenty-six years later, he was excluded from a certain job because of his 'criminal' record. By then, he was a respected Member of society and an appointed District Board Member. Such is the injustice as well as the stupidity of this society. No former Attorney-General has shown any interest in such small people, but now I am glad to see that the present Attorney-General is considering the rehabilitation of such minor offenders. The previous Attorney-General, when approached concerning a schoolboy accused of stealing an article worth $1.30, stated that the law must take its course, and the boy must be prosecuted. Yet when a very senior policeman was found involved in drug trafficking, the same Attorney-General failed to prosecute.
Such is the injustice of our system here. It cries out for changes.
Democracy
Those who sit in high places because they have the approval of those who appointed them to those seats of honour clamour to retain our present 'democratic' system of 'justice'. Democracy, to them, means that their normal brains are given the status of superbrains to advocate what is right for everyone else. As M.P. Mr. Robert ADLEY pointed out—they are appointed by people who are themselves appointed.
Some of us have, for more than 20 years, made approaches to the British Government, both Conservative and Labour, for democratic changes in Hong Kong. No one has listened. Some of our elected Members, putting position before principle, have joined the opposite side (i.e., the Government clique) when they saw no hope of fulfilling their ambition as elected Members. Others who have no personal ambition continue to struggle for a more democratic system. Hopefully, younger and newer Members are joining them. The students today are calling for more participation in their Government. Throughout its colonial history, the Hong Kong Government has used the political system in China to thwart all democratic movements. I do not today wish to express any thoughts on the post-1997 position, but I do insist that now is the time to begin the democratic system, now is the time to allow our young, educated Chinese to learn to administer democratically for the good of all, not just for the favoured few.
Page 108 of 194
183
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 108 of 194
182
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as this day is the only year when elected representatives of the people are officially permitted to speak
one in the
on important issues outside the narrow jurisdiction of the Council. Ito speak spend my limited time telling you what you already know from our Annual Report. I merely want to thank all our staff and especially those who hate worked hard to make our libraries available and attractive in every district, and then pass on to matters which I believe have impact on the people at the
grassroots.
Social Welfare
The inequalities of our society have recently been pinpointed by the imprison. ment of a woman struggling to feed the six children for whom her husband allegedly the owner of three flats and three shops, took no responsibility. Th woman, the householder of two rooms in public housing was forced by violer: methods to live with her six children in the small room while her husban occupied the medium room in a public housing estate. Social workers, an estate staff failed to notice, or if they noticed, failed to rectify the injustice failed to give the help required. Instead, when the woman in her desperation obtained relief from public funds she was allegedly not entitled to, the law te its vengeful course on the woman but left the man free to oppress her and continue his selfish ways.
I am fully aware that injustices exist in all societies, but nowhere I know art they more blatant than in Hong Kong. The hierarchy of the Government here intensely concerned about its own high salaries boosted far beyond inflation levels, its own subsidized housing, its fringe benefits, long and short leave with first-class air passages; the Government is concerned about maintaining the profitability of all public utilities which already show unbelievably hig profits--but what does it care about widows, widowers, deserted families. the aged, the sick, the infirm and the handicapped? They simply throw a few crumb as if feeding dogs, and do a public relations exercise to show how they care f the poor. Inflation can go on for years before their cry for help penetrates the ears of the complacent people who sit on councils and smile at each other. pa each other on the back and call each other by their Christian names, while the praise this Council for providing them with choice cultural entertainment. The even despise anyone who speaks for the poor.
Social workers, pressure groups and other concerned people have demandes a more responsible social welfare system, which gives the needy and the handicapped the dignity to earn and improve their living standard while st depending partly on public assistance. The present system crushes the initiativ to work instead of encouraging it, and it must be changed quickly. Self-help and public assistance must go hand in hand and not be in legal conflict.
Rehabilitation of Minor Offenders
Still among the underprivileged, please consider these examples. A boy of 1: picked up a piece of metal from a building site and was arrested by detective
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 108 of 194
183
who saw him do it. He was sent to court and put on bond. Now at the age of 31, eighteen years later, he is unable to emigrate because he has a 'criminal' record. A fair policeman would have made him put back the piece of metal and explained that that was stealing and he had better not repeat the offence. A fair magistrate would have acquitted the boy of the minor charge with a similar
explanation
as indeed some of our better magistrates already do. A fair legal
system would in any case have cleared the boy's record after a year or two. He should not be treated as a criminal 18 years later.
A boy of 15 was accused of triad connections. Though he pleaded not guilty he was found guilty and put on probation. Twenty-six years later he was excluded from a certain job because of his 'criminal' record. By then he was a respected Member of society, and an appointed District Board Member. Such is the injustice as well as the stupidity of this society. No former Attorney-General has shown any interest in such small people, but now I am glad to see that the present Attorney-General is considering the rehabilitation of such minor offenders. The previous Attorney-General, when approached concerning a schoolboy accused of stealing an article worth $1.30 stated that the law must take its course, and the boy must be prosecuted. Yet when a very senior policeman was found involved in drug trafficking, the same Attorney-General
failed to prosecute.
Such is the injustice of our system here. It cries out for changes.
Democracy
Those who sit in high places because they have the approval of those who appointed them to those seats of honour, clamour to retain our present democratic system of 'justice'. Democracy, to them, means that their normal brains are given the status of superbrains to advocate what is right for everyone else. As M. P. Mr. Robert ADLEY pointed out-they are appointed by people who are themselves appointed.
Some of us have for more than 20 years made approaches to the British Government, both Conservative and Labour, for democratic changes in Hong Kong. No one has listened. Some of our elected Members, putting position before principle, have joined the opposite side (i.e. the Government clique) when they saw no hope of fulfilling their ambition as elected Members. Others who have no personal ambition, continue to struggle for a more democratic ystem. Hopefully younger and newer Members are joining them. The students today are calling for more participation in their Government. Throughout its colonial history, the Hong Kong Government has used the political system in China to thwart all democratic movements. I do not today wish to express any thoughts on the post 1997 position, but I do insist that now is the time to begin the democratic system, now is the time to allow our young educated Chinese to learn to administer democratically for the good of all, not just for the favoured
few.
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