Trouble in paradise: villagers in beautiful Sai Kung enclave alleged to have sold land rights to housing developers

A green group has identified another village in Sai Kung where villagers are alleged to have offloaded their right to build small houses to a developer, after the practice was ruled criminal by a court last month.

The village is located in Pak Sha O, a picturesque enclave known to be a haven for winter butterflies, with an ecologically important stream.

The Conservancy Association opposes government plans – now under public consultation until February 4 – to designate a chunk of land for development of village houses, stating that it would destroy the area’s rich ecology.

The enclave is also within a water catchment area, cause concerns about sewage and waste disposal if a bigger population moved in. It is currently not accessible by car.

Roy Ng Hei-man, of the Conservancy Association, said: “We oppose government plans to draw up that development zone, because we question whether the need for housing is real.”

This comes after a court found 11 villagers and a developer guilty of a scam involving selling their village house rights for profit, sentencing them to up to three years’ jail.