Bulletin Number Four 1984

On 20th July, 1942, a new system o f district administration was promulgated, dividing the whole o f Hong Kong and the New Territories into twenty- eight districts, Sai Kung being one o f them. Each o f these districts was represented by a qu-zheng-suo ( 區政所 ) (D istrict Administration Office), and this name came to be used in place o f wei-chi-hui. A t the same time, the Japanese Government also instituted the appointment o f village heads, who were respon sible for collecting the ration for the entire village. When the Japanese Government needed labour for its construction projects, it was also the responsibility o f the village heads to produce the labour. After the stationing o f a small contingent o f gendarmes in Sai Kung, there was no more trouble from the bandits. Meanwhile, the Chamber o f Commerce continued to function, in fact if not in name. It came to be responsible for purchasing provisions for the Japanese Government in Sai Kung from local merchants. This helped to reduce disturbance from the Japanese troops in the area. Life was hard in the occupation, and the villagers lived in constant fear: the fear o f food shortage, the fear o f arbitrary arrest and torture, and the fear that the women might be raped. In fact, even before the War, Sai Kung was by no means self-sufficient. The outbreak o f war brought about a shortage o f imported food. Some time in 1942, to meet the rice shortage, the Japanese Government began rationing. Everyone was entitled to purchase 6.4 taels o f rice per day and 4 taels o f rice were given as wages to labourers who took part in construction projects. However, in actual practice, not everyone received this amount. The rice shortage in Hong Kong gave rise to smuggling on a massive scale in Sai Kung. Rice was abundant across the border in China, in Shayuchong on Mirs Bay and in Huizhou. However, trade was forbidden between these guerrilla-held places in China and Japanese- occupied Hong Kong. The trade that developed had to be regarded as 'smuggling'. There were different kinds o f people involved, some were the 'travelling merchants', the others belonged to some organizations which were armed. Guerrilla activities were rather active in Sai Kung. It was said that there were about three hundred guerrillas in Sai Kung and they were directly under the Hong Kong and Kowloon Branch o f the East River Guerrillas. Some o f them were sent to the guerrilla headquarters for training, even in Huizhou. They taught the villagers how to organize themselves against the bandits, and had an intelligence network throughout the villages. Information was gathered for them by the 'small devils', a brigade o f young people, and the ‘sisters' society', consisting o f young women. Besides gathering information and controlling the sea route by which rice was 'smuggled' into Hong Kong, they were not seriously involved in subversive activities. They did, however, take reprisals against collaborators who worked for the Japanese Govern ment. They also helped escaped prisoners-of-war to find their way to Huizhou. These were the arrange ments made between the British Army Aid Group and the East River Guerrillas in their Huizhou head quarters. Life went back to the pre-War rhythm after the surrender o f Japan, and traditional village life continued for another decade. A hundred-year-old village house with a specially designed roof-top, a symbol o f families with Imperial Examination titles. 20 ACADEMIC/CULTURAL EVENTS