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courts.
Miss Dunn :-Sir, is there any evidence that the public are reluctant to report
If so,
triad activities because of fear of revenge by other triad members?
what steps are taken to protect the identity and safety of members of the
public who are prepared to stand up to victimi ation by triads?
The Attorney General :-Well, Sir,
in serious cases the police do have a
well-tried and frequently used system of witness protection and that is
implemented whenever it is thought to be necessary in a serious case. It has
to be recognised that in many other less serious cases members of the public
are unwilling to present themselves in courts to give evidence at trials; and
many trials, indeed I can say, have to be abandoned because of the fact that
witnesses cannot be found. These are matters which I know are being carefully
considered within the Working Group and I hope that in that area too some of
the legislative options will be presented to this Council early next year.
Mr. Hui Yin-fat :-Sir, in the light of increasing triad activities will the
Government consider reinstating the Triad Society Division of the Police Force
as to strengthen the combat force against triads?
I can
The Attorney General :-Sir, there has been, I think, a little misunderstanding
in the past about the Triad Society Bureau. This Triad Society Bureau was
amalgamated, I think about two or three years ago, with other specialist units
such as the Serious Crimes Division to form the Organised and Serious Crimes
Group. The reason was that it did not make sense organisationally to separate
triads from the crimes, the organised crimes, that they committed.
assure Members that the expertise that had been generated by the Triad Society
Bureau was not lost nor did the amalgamation lessen efforts against triads.
Anti-triad intelligence is now the province of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau
and the capability in this field has improved considerably over the last few
years with long term intelligence-based operations against both individuals and
organisations. So I do not accept that the organisational changes in recent
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