YOUNG GIRLS SOLD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 816, 9 November 1929, Page 9

YOUNG GIRLS SOLD

BRITAIN RESISTS HONG-KONG SYSTEM CHINESE OPPOSITION British Official Wireless RUGBY, Thursday. The official correspondence has been published in connection with the efforts of the British Government to combat the system of domestic service in Hong Kong known as "mui tsai.” Under tnis girls between the ages of four and 14 are adopted or sold as domestic servants. The Government has passed an ordinance to abolish the system, but, owing to opposition on the part of the Chinese community, part 3 of the ordinance, which provided for the registration and inspection of the girls concerned, was suspended. Lord Passfield, Secretary of State for the Dominions and Colonies, informed the Governor of Hong Kong that public opinion in Britain and in the House of Commons would not accept a continuation of the system with equanimity. He therefore directed that part 3 of the ordinance should be put into force forthwith and that part 2 should be amended to forbid the bringing into the colony of any of t.iese girls. This, he said, would be more practicable, as he understood the system had been abolished by law in Lord Passfield added that time might he necessary to make the law effective, but he was not prepared to acquiesce in a merely nominal enforcement of it. and proceedings should be taken against offenders.