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The election of Hong Kong's first non-Chinese village head - a 41-year-old civil engineer from England -  has led to a split in the tiny Lantau village where he was returned.

Andrew Brown, originally from the Wirral near the English city of Liverpool, has pledged to heal the wounds his historic election has opened in San Shek Wan village.

Nine villagers voted for Mr Brown - his defeated opponent Mo Kam-tong got eight votes, all of them from members of his family. The peaceful village has 51 residents but only 18 were registered to vote. One failed to show up at the polling station last Sunday.

Days after Mr Brown was elected, Mr Mo and his father, Mo Kam-fook, who was re-elected as the village chief representing indigenous villagers under the new two heads election system, declared the election void and vowed he would never co-operate with Mr Brown.

The Briton came to Hong Kong in 1995 and has lived in the village for six years.

'Both the elder Mr Mo and his son refused to talk to me after the election,' Mr Brown said yesterday.

He said he would be writing to the Home Affairs Bureau seeking clarification of their respective roles as representatives.

Some residents are now worried that without the co-operation  of the village chief, Mr Brown will be a 'lame duck' representative.

But Mr Brown said he was confident he could represent non-indigenous residents, who make up nearly 80 per cent of the population, adding that the elder Mr Mo would have to face the fact that the election was legal.

The month-long village elections, which run until August 17, give non-indigenous residents the right to elect village representatives for the first time as a result of a landmark court judgment that replaces a colonial system that had been operating for more than 100 years in the New Territories.

Though Mr Brown does not speak Cantonese, he felt it would not be a barrier, adding that he would soon begin to learn the language. As an interim measure, he will seek the help of an interpreter at village meetings.

The divorced father of two said he decided to stand for election because he felt residents had the right to be heard and consulted.

'Things were being done over our heads and we were never consulted,' Mr Brown said. ''People want to be heard.'

'In the modern world there's a cross-section of society in these villages, not clans any more. You have the same right to be heard as your neighbour who may have lived there 40 years longer than you.'

Mr Brown hopes to organise a meeting with all the residents next month to hear  their plans to improve the village.

He said the next important task was to improve sewage system problems, which faced all villages.

'I hope to push for a pilot scheme in San Shek Wan by introducing New Zealand technology to help our inadequate sewage system,' he said.

Mr Brown estimates it will cost about $500,000 for such a pilot scheme in San Shek Wan village.

He also says he wants to improve the drainage system because it almost floods whenever there is a typhoon.

Besides these improvements, residents want more from Mr Brown.

Australian Ingrid Allen, who has lived in the village for more than a year and as such cannot vote, said  she hoped there would be fences installed  to prevent children  tumbling down the slopes and a badminton court built.

Ms Allen, a mother of one, who has just returned  from a holiday in  Australia,    was glad to hear Mr Brown had been elected.

One of Mr Brown's nine voters, Deborah Choi Heung-lan,  a village resident for 10 years, said she was more than happy.  'Now our voices will be heard,' she said.



First non-Chinese village head takes up the post with wounds to heal