Tuen Mun Rural Committee

The Tuen Mun Rural Committee (Chinese: 屯門鄉事委員會, TMRC) is a rural committee in Hong Kong. It was founded by rural leader Chan Yat-sen in 1953 with representatives from 29 villages in Tuen Mun. Today the rural committee consisted of 36 villages and 69 village representatives.^[1]

History

It was founded on the basis of Tuen Mun Village Kaifong Office which was created by Chan Yat-sen for the betterment of the village affairs and development which also administered Tuen Mun Market. In 1953, it was transformed into a rural committee with representatives from 29 villages, in which Chan became the chairman for six terms. Lau Wong-fat succeeded as chairman in 1970 and served from seventh to twentieth terms until Junius Ho Kwan-yiu took over in 2011.^[1] In 2015, Lau Wong-fat retook the chairmanship from Junius Ho.^[2]

In 1959, the New Territories villagers protested against the changing of land use by the government which later brought the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk Ordinance into existence. The rural committee has been member of the Heung Yee Kuk, the powerful organ voicing the interests of the villagers and its chairman Lau Wong-fat has been Chairman of the Kuk for more than twenty years.^[1] The chairman of the rural committee is also the ex officio member of the Tuen Mun District Council.

List of chairmen

1. Chan Yat-sen, 1953–1970
2. Lau Wong-fat, 1970–2011
3. Junius Ho Kwa-yiu, 2011–2015
4. Lau Wong-fat, 2015–2016
5. Kenneth Lau, 2016–present

List of villages

See also

• Indigenous inhabitants (Hong Kong)

References