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1. New measures will help property tycoons, but leave the poor worse off

1. New measures will help property tycoons, but leave the poor worse off
Letter to the editor, 9 March 2003

The Hong Kong government released the report of the task force on population policy on February 26, a report that focused most of its recommendations on the elderly, mainland immigrant families, foreign domestic helpers, mainland professional and investment immigrants.

The basic thrust of the report was that the first three population groups are a drag on the economy while the last two groups that is, mainland professionals and investment immigrants, are Hong Kong's saviours. Consequently ,measures have been proposed (and some already implemented) to make life in Hong Kong more difficult for those who are deemed to inhibit our economy and to facilitate the arrival of those who will stimulate it.

Our conclusions as a Christian organisation are that we believe that such measures are short-sighted, discriminatory and lack compassion. They will create more social problems than they will solve.

First of all, introducing a levy and cutting the minimum wage of foreign helpers not only discriminates against them, but it also breaks the harmonious relationship between helpers and their employers' families.

Secondly, restricting the access of one-way permit immigrants to social benefits will create more split families. Mothers and their children will be the worst hit.

As a result, this measure will adversely affect the healthy development of these families and impair the integration of new migrants into Hong Kong society.

Moreover, who are the people who will benefit from the government's policy to invite people with wealth to invest in Hong Kong ? Clearly, major beneficiaries will be the real estate tycoons and financial institutions.

If a population policy's aim is to provide a good an caring environment so that each person in the community will have an equal opportunity to grow and people will be able to help each other, we must not simply see how much investment we can attract to Hong Kong, but rather, we mush seek to restore a sense of human compassion. We must respect each person's human rights and view everyone as equal.

Lastly, we have to emphasise the family as the most important social unit of our community. We can do this concretely by granting right of abode to all children who have been born and remain on the mainland and who have one parent who is a Hong Kong citizen. These children should be allowed to come with their mothers to Hong Kong so that they can have access to proper parental care.

Underlying all of these changes is a fundamental question - does the market exist to serve people, or do people exist to serve the market ? This issue affects the nature of a society, including its population policy and it affects the way people relate to one another.

Rose Wu, Director of Hong Kong Christian Institute