Why did Robert Kotewall collaborate with Japan?: The Eurasians in wartime Hong Kong

Abstract

In current studies of modern Chinese urban history, we have been focused mostly on political, economic, social, and cultural development, but never paid enough attention to the studies of minority groups. Hong Kong was opened as a free port in 1841. Thereafter, a lot of minorities such as Parsees, Jews and Indians came to Hong Kong. Usually, these minority groups followed the British, spreading over the British sphere of influence in Asia. In fact, we know only a little about these people. As a British colony, Hong Kong was divided into two social classes: the rulers and the ruled. Obviously, Chinese made up the class of the ruled. It is worth to point out that a 'go-between' group mediated between the rulers and the ruled. The Eurasians played an important role in the political, economic, cultural and social development of Hong Kong during its more than 150 years of colonial history. Generally speaking, each Eurasian has a dual cultural identity. Due to their specific cultural background, Eurasians are able to go between different social groups and various classes of people. They usually played this role of 'middleman' between the Chinese and British. It is appropriate to regard Eurasians as a group which functioned through 'social networking.' We have done much research on wartime Hong Kong, but only a little which touched on the Japanese collaborators or 'traitors' (hanjian) as they were called by most of the Chinese. The major objective of this paper is to discuss the role played by Eurasians in the pro-Japanese faction while Hong Kong was occupied by Japan. It is interesting to ask how Eurasians became supporters of the pro-Japanese faction under the flag of 'Great East Asia Sphere of Co-prosperity'? When the war was over, they were exempted from accusation. Hence, we also wonder how they were able to successfully clear themselves from the charge of treason. This paper will seek to provide answers to the above questions based on the case study of Robert Kotewall.

現代中国都市史の研究において,私たちは主に政治,経済,社会,文化的発展に注目してきたが,マイノリティー・グループの研究には十分な注意を払ってこなかった。本稿は,日本占領下の香港で支配者と被支配者の仲介人的役割を果たしていた「欧亜混血児」(Eurasian)に着目し,日本占領下香港の親日派のなかで彼らが果たした役割について分析する。「大東亜共栄圏」の旗の下で,どのようにして「欧亜混血児」が日本の支援者としての役割を果たすようになったのか。そして戦後,彼らはどのようにして罪を逃れることができたのか。本研究では,主に羅旭和(Robert Kotewall)の事例に基づいて分析する。