【真香港時間囊】那些年的宴會：彭定康為二戰老兵舉行的Tea Party (Patreon)

HONG KONG: CHRIS PATTEN HOSTS TEA PARTY FOR WAR VETERANS

(7 Apr 1997) English/Nat Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten hosted a tea party for some of the territory's war veterans and war widows Monday. The party was to celebrate the widows receiving full British passports to replace their Hong Kong travel documents. It follows a long campaign on their behalf by British Legion chairman Jack Edwards. War veteran Jack Edwards proudly unfurls the flag he's used in his long battle to have full British passports granted to Hong Kong war widows. The Union Jack flag belongs to 90 year old Arthur May who gave the signal at the end of World War Two that Hong Kong was liberated. SOUNDBITE: (English) "This flag liberated Hong Kong on 18th of August 1945. Very bravely put on the Peak by Arthur May and Jim Brown, who broke out of Ma Tau Chung camp to raise it and give the signal that Hong Kong was going to be British." SUPER CAPTION: Jack Edwards, Chairman Royal British Legion Hong Kong Edwards began campaigning for full British passports for the territory's war widows more than 10 years ago after winning a campaign to give Hong Kong war veterans similar rights. Because they were of Chinese or Eurasian origins, the widows did not automatically qualify for them. Last July a bill was finally passed in the British parliament granting them full passports. The 29 war widows have been receiving their passports over the last few months. Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten, who had helped the campaign, promised to host a tea party for the ladies once they had won their battle. But emotions amongst the widows about their victory was mixed. Some felt they were now too frail to make full use of their new passports. SOUNDBITE: (English) "At least we have got our goal now, that we've waited so long for. We have got to thank Jack Edwards for all his efforts as he is really the one who did it all for us. He wouldn't give up." SUPER CAPTION: Lydia Pereira, 77 year old war widow SOUNDBITE: (English) "Well happy but at the same time disappointed. We have waited so long now that we can't use our eyes, our ears, our legs." SUPER CAPTION: Elfreda Minhinnett, 80 year old war widow Jack Edwards has campaigned tirelessly for war veterans and widows since arriving in Hong Kong more than 30 years ago. Along with his passport campaign he has also won the widows the right to receive a full British war widows pension. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/470a0c5db5def9352193c2fbe47caac7