SATURDAY, JULY 19, 1986
THE PUBLISHER OF THE LOCAL MAGAZINE WAS CONVICTED AT THE CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY ON MARCH 20, 1986 AND FINED $10 000.
AS REGARDS SEXUAL COMIC BOOKS, THE STORE MANAGER OF THE BOOK SECTION IN A JAPANESE DEPARTMENT STORE WAS FINED $17 000 AT THE CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY ON JULY 16, 1986 AFTER HE PLEADED GUILTY TO CHARGES OF PUBLISHING AND POSSESSION OF OBSCENE ARTICLES FOR GAIN.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE UNIT SAID THE SECOND PROSECUTION WAS INITIATED ON REFERRAL FROM A PUBLIC COMPLAINT TO UMELCO THAT THESE SEXUAL COMIC BOOKS WERE DISPLAYED PUBLICLY FOR SALE INSIDE THE BOOK SECTION OF THE STORE.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE STORE HAD BEEN WARNED BY THE UNIT IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR TO REMOVE THE PORNOGRAPHIC COMIC BOOKS. HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENT INSPECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE STORE HAD IGNORED THE WARNING.
IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THE UNIT ALSO ISSUED EIGHT WARNING LETTERS TO THE MANAGING DIRECTORS OF THREE BOOK STORES AND TO THE PUBLISHERS OF TWO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND THREE MAGAZINES FOR PUBLISHING OFFENSIVE ARTICLES.
THE MAXIMUM PENALTY UNDER THE OBJECTIONABLE PUBLICATIONS ORDINANCE IS A FINE OF $100 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR THREE YEARS.
EEC, HK END SECOND ROUND TEXTILE TALKS
******
THE SECOND ROUND OF BI-LATERAL TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS
BETWEEN THE EEC AND HONG KONG ENDED ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON (JULY 19) WITHOUT ANY CONCLUSION.
THE TALKS, WHICH BEGAN IN BRUSSELS ON THURSDAY JULY 17, WILL RESUME AT A DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER.
COMMENTING ON THE TALKS, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, WHO LED THE HONG KONG NEGOTIATING TEAM, SAID THAT THE TALKS HAD COVERED ALL THE MAIN ISSUES, AND HAD INCLUDED FORMAL PROPOSALS BY EACH SIDE.
+THE GAP BETWEEN THE SIDES IS QUITE WIDE WE ARE FRANKLY SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTED THAT TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO DISCERNABLE RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S OPEN MARKET, BUT BOTH SIDES HAD BEEN MAKING GENUINE EFFORTS TO BRIDGE THE GAP, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO RENEWING THOSE EFFORTS IN A MONTH OR TWO.+
MR MACLEOD SAID THAT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE MORE DIFFICULT BY THE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LIKELY EFFECTS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HARMONISED SYSTEM.
/+WHILST WE