31
-
Wednesday, October 31, 1973
CALL FOR TOUGHER ACTION AGAINST SMUT
Stricter Laws, Higher Penalties Needed Mr. Lobo
Another "strong man" with full powers and facilities is needed to tackle
the worsening problem of pornography, the Hon. R.H. Lobo suggested today.
"An alternative would be an independent committee with power to
take restrictive and punitive action," he said.
Speaking in the Legislative Council debate, Mr. Lobo noted that
many citizens were becoming more and more disturbed over the increasing
immorality and indecency and there had been suggestions that the spread of
pornography had influenced the increase in the crime rate.
The existing law needs teeth to cope against obscenity and
immorality," he stressed. "At present the law is neither clear nor effective
and the penalties for immoral publications are not severe enough."
Mr. Lobo suggested that the Executive should have powers of
confiscation and these powers should be widely used. Because of the lack
of a single responsible body to deal with the problem and the lack of co-
operation between government departments and welfare organisations, efforts
to combat indecency had been "spasmodic, short-lived and limited in scope,
he noted.
He emphasised that earnest and effective action was needed now
unless Hong Kong was prepared to accept indecency as a way of life.
/Turning to