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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1986
ON SPECIFIC PROPOSALS OF THE DOCUMENT, HE SAID HE SUPPORTED THE SCHEME OF RENUNCIATION OF TRIAD MEMBERSHIP.
IN HIS OPINION, THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CONCEPT OF IDENTIFYING TRIAD SOCIETIES AS CRIMINAL ORGANISATIONS.
HE ARGUED THAT SOME MIGHT HAVE NEVER COMMITTED ANY CRIME. OTHERS WOULD NEVER DO SO, WHILE STILL OTHERS MIGHT HAVE DONE SO BUT HAD ALREADY TURNED OVER A NEW LEAF.
+ HOWEVER, IT IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE TO CLASSIFY TRIAD SOCIETIES AS ILLEGAL ORGANISATIONS AND REGARD TRIAD MEMBERS WHO, ONCE AFFILIATED, AS HAVING COMMITTED CERTAIN CRIMES AND THUS AS CRIMINALS, HE SAID.
HE SAID HE AGREED THAT A FREE SOCIETY LIKE HONG KONG SHOULD ALLOW ITS PEOPLE TO HAVE THE FREEDOM OF FORMING SOCIETIES AND ALLOW SOCIETIES TO HAVE PRIVACY.
+HOWEVER, IT SHOULD NOT ALLOW ITS PEOPLE TO FORM SOCIETIES SECRETLY AND CARRY OUT SECRET ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT PRIVACY, BUT RATHER INDULGENCE, THE SELF-INDULGENCE AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT'S INDULGENCE OF SOME PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.
+ IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT THE SOCIETIES ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY DEALS WITH TRIAD SOCIETIES, AND THAT TRIAD MEMBERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY CRIMINALS, AND THAT THEY MAY NOT COMMIT ANY CRIMES OR COMMIT ANY CRIMES AGAIN, I THEREFORE SUPPORT THE SCHEME OF RENUNCIATION OF TRIAD MEMBERSHIP AS PROPOSED IN THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT,+ HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF PUNISHMENT, MR WONG MAINTAINED THAT ALL PUNISHMENT SHOULD ONLY HAVE ONE OBJECTIVE OF GIVING DUE JUDGMENT WHICH WAS NOT RETALIATORY RATHER THAN THE COMMONLY-BELIEVED FUNCTIONS OF RETRIBUTION, REFORM AND DETERRENCE.
+THIS DOES NOT EXCLUDE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT BECAUSE THIS MAY BE THE DUE JUDGMENT FOR CERTAIN CRIMES.
+REFORM IS SIMPLY THE EFFECT PRODUCED EITHER DELIBERATELY OR ACCIDENTALLY WHEN IMPLEMENTING THE PENALTY, HE ADDED.
THEREFORE, THE RATIONALE BEHIND HIS SUPPORT FOR A REVIEW OF THE AMOUNT OF FINES AND AN INCREASE IN THE YEARS OF PUNISHMENT WAS NOT DETERRENCE, HE SAID.
LASTLY, MR WONG SAID HE OPPOSED IN PRINCIPLE THE PROPOSALS ON SUPERVISION ORDER AND ON RESTRICTING THE ACTIVITIES OF TRIAD MEMBERS.
+1 WOULD LIKE TO EARNESTLY REQUEST HEREBY THOSE WHO SUPPORT IN PRINCIPLE THE ABOVE PROPOSALS TO CONSIDER WHETHER THESE MEASURES ARE PRACTICABLE AND EFFECTIVE,+ HE URGED.
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