CityChat
Tin Shui Wai was splashed in headlines across Hong Kong as the City of Sadness thanks to a rash of suicide and domestic-violence cases, as well as such issues as high unemployment and ill-planned infrastructure. As a result, television programmes and official support designed to boost the morale of the people came in large numbers. Now, the problems of the area have shifted to the district of Kwai Tsing.
Recent government figures showed there were 13,300 unemployed people in the district, which has had Hong Kong's highest jobless rate for the past three years. Before that, Yuen Long, which includes Tin Shui Wai, topped the chart for several years.
Moreover, those who were employed in the embattled district made an average of only HK$9,500 a month - the city's lowest. The highest average was in Wan Chai, at HK$20,000. Kwai Tsing is also the district most seriously affected by self-harm and teenage drug abuse.
Kwai Tsing District Council chairman Tang Kwok-kong said: 'Our district has many problems indeed ... and almost all of them stem from poverty. About 78 per cent of the people live on public estates. In fact, when people are poor, they do many things to escape from it but still can't be any happier.
'Several years ago we had an influx of immigrants from the mainland. District councillors fought hard for their accommodation. Then in poured a plethora of new immigrants who just about spoke our language but knew a lot less about our culture. It's a problem because they came in such large numbers that society had no resources to help them adapt to the new environment, to immerse themselves in our culture. Many of them came from Guangdong, so they have no problems communicating with the locals. But the way we do things here is largely different from on the mainland. For example, they force their way into the train before allowing others to alight. It's also not rare to spot them spitting, speaking very loudly or queue-jumping.
'To be frank, many Hong Kong people still discriminate against them because of such behaviour. They are discriminated against only for their cultural differences. We often hear of programmes designed to help ethnic minorities like Nepalis and Pakistanis to fit in, but have you ever heard of any for immigrants from the mainland?
'As a result, many of them can't find a job. And those who manage to be employed often have to work such long hours that they simply have no time for their family. When children feel their parents don't care about them, they are prone to find other means of escape from the depressing reality. Our district has been getting spates of negative press. Well, they are all facts about Kwai Tsing and I, together with my colleagues and the government, should devise a long-term solution to the problems.
'On the other hand, there are actually many good things about this place. We have a great transport network. Although the people are poor, we have a relatively low crime rate. We have better air quality than many other districts. It's not a bad place.
'I hope the government can inject more money into helping us, because it is the only realistic way of doing it. It is essential to create more job opportunities for our people.'
The Lau family of four moved from Guangdong to Hong Kong in 2003 and live in the Kwai Chung Estate. Mrs Lau said that if she had a choice, she would prefer living at home in Guangdong.
'My husband does casual work and doesn't have a stable income,' she said. 'We can survive on his erratic earnings of about HK$7,000 a month, but of course it's not a luxury life. We can't afford toys for our children.
'I regret moving to Hong Kong because bureaucracy plagues this place. When I feel ill I have to wait for several hours for doctors. When I need this and that, I need to fill out application forms. In terms of these, Guangdong has a much more efficient system. Sadly, I can't just pack my things and go, because my children have to go to school here. But if I didn't have any children, I would definitely go home with my husband for a more mellow style of living.'
