8 Sep 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp

The Chinese Volunteers are released from Shamshuipo. They spend a few days in St. Teresa's Hopsital, are forced to sign a promise not to fight again, and then they're free.

Maximo Cheng, one of those released, states that no explanation for their release was given to the POWs. It's possible that this was a Japanese attempt to win credibility for their 'Asia for the Asians' claims. According to another Volunteer POW, the Japanese always showed partiality to the Chinese in Shamshuipo: 'they never ill-treated us.'

But Raymond Mok, another POW freed today, says that some of his fellows thought the reason for the release was economic: outside Camp the Japanese wouldn't have to feed them and they could work for their rations.

Both Cheng and Mok escaped from Hong Kong and carried on the fight, Cheng wit the Chindits, Mok as a BAAG Medical Officer.

Sources:

Chen: Interview with Maximo Chen,  http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80020175

Partiality: Peter Tan, cited in Peter Cunich, A History of the University of Hong Kong, Volume 1, 2012, 541

Mok: Interview with Dr Raymond Mok, http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80020174