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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1975
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U.K. URGIND TO GIVE HONG KONG FREE HAND
IN DEATH PENALTY
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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD RESPECT THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND GIVE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COMPLETE AUTONOMY IN CARRYING OUT THE DEATH PENALTY.
THIS WAS STATED IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY BY THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, DR. THE HON. CHUNG SZE-YUEN, WHEN HE OPENED THE DEBATE ON A MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS ON OCTOBER 8.
DR. CHUNG SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT IN TRADE RELATIONS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS, HONG KONG ALREADY HAD COMPLETE AUTONOMY TO DEAL WITH COMMERCIAL MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS BEST INTEREST, AND HE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE THE SAME FREEDOM IN CARRYING OUT THE DEATH PENALTY.
+WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, 99 PER CENT OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO THE CHINESE AGAINST COMMITTING VIOLENT CRIME.
+WE KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE AND THIS PROBABLY EXPLAINS WHY PRACTICALLY ALL THE COUNTRIES IN THE EAST HAVE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, + HE SAID.
HE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE TIDE OF VIOLENT CRIME AND NOTED THAT CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON SUCH AS MURDERS. MANSLAUGHTER AND SERIOUS ASSAULTS, HAD RISEN FROM 1,982 CASES IN 1971 TO 4,425 CASES LAST YEAR AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 123 PER CENT OR A COMPOUND RATE OF 30 PER CENT PER ANNUM.
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IN THE CASE OF ROBBERIES, HE SAID, THE SITUATION WAS EVEN WORSE. FROM 5,132 CASES IN 1971, ROBBERIES HAD RISEN TO 12,765 CASES IN 1974, REPRESENTING AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 150 PER CENT OR A COMPOUND RATE OF 36 PER CENT PER ANNUM..
AND THESE FIGURES, HE POINTED OUT, DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CASES THAT WERE NOT REPORTED AND HE BELIEVED THAT THEIR NUMBER WAS PROBABLY NOT INSIGNIFICANT,
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ALTHOUGH THE RATE OF INCREASE HAD SLOWED DOWN THIS YEAR, THE CRIME FIGURES WERE STILL FAR TOO HIGH AND HE WONDERED WHETHER HONG KONG WAS DOING ALL THAT SHOULD BE DONE.
IT WAS GENERALLY FELT, DR. CHUNG SAID, THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT PUTTING ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON THE FEAR OF PUNISHMENT AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO VIOLENT CRIME.
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/IT WAS OFTEN