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SUSPENSION OF THE TRIAD RENUNCIATION TRIBUNAL
THE TRIAD RENUNCIATION TRIBUNAL HAS BEEN SUSPENDED WITH EFFECT FROM TODAY (FRIDAY).
ANNOUNCING THIS, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE SOCIETIES (SUSPENSION OF SECTIONS 26A AND 268) ORDER 1991, WHICH IS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY, PROVIDED FOR THE SUSPENSION OF THE TRIBUNAL, FOLLOWING THE DETERMINATION OF ALL APPLICATIONS UNDER THE SCHEME.
YEAR.
THE TRIBUNAL HAD CEASED TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN APRIL THIS
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED ON DECEMBER 1988 AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO ALLOW PERSONS TO FORMALLY RENOUNCE THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF A TRIAD SOCIETY IN RETURN FOR A STAY OF PROSECUTIONS FOR OFFENCES RELATED про TRIAD MEMBERSHIP UNDER THE SOCIETIES ORDINANCE.
PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SCHEME, ANYONE WHO TIME BECOME A TRIAD MEMBER WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN LIABLE TO UNDER THE SOCIETIES ORDINANCE.
HAD AT ANY PROSECUTIONS
PEOPLE WHO MIGHT
"THE SCHEME WAS AIMED PARTICULARLY AT YOUNG HAVE BECOME TRIAD MEMBERS UNDER DURESS OR OUT OF IGNORANCE OF THE IMPLICATIONS, AND AS A RESULT, HAVE BLACK CLOUDS HANGING OVER THEIR CHANCES OF LEADING CRIME-FREE AND USEFUL LIVES," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
1,197
HE ADDED THAT BETWEEN DECEMBER 8, 1988 AND MARCH 31 THIS YEAR, WHEN APPLICATIONS CEASED TO BE ACCEPTED, 4,989 ENQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM PERSONS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO WANTED TO RENOUNCE THEIR TRIAD LINKS.
AS A RESULT, A TOTAL OF 779 GENUINE TRIAD MEMBERS HAD SUCCESSFULLY RENOUNCED THEIR TRIAD MEMBERSHIP;
10 WERE UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY DID NOT TAKE THE OATH OF RENUNCIATION OR FOR OTHER REASONS WHILE ANOHTER 408 ABANDONED THEIR APPLICATIONS.
"THE VAST MAJORITY (99.5%) OF THE APPLICANTS WERE MALES AND BETWEEN 11 AND 20 YEARS OF AGE (41.6%). MOST OF THE SUCCESSFUL RENOUNCERS (93.8%) WERE JUNIOR TRIAD MEMBERS WHO DID NOT HOLD ANY OFFICES OF MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY IN TRIAD SOCIETIES,' THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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HE SAID A PERIOD OF TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS WAS LONG ENOUGH FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO RELINQUISH THEIR TRIAD LINKS TO COME FORWARD.
FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE SCHEME WOULD HAVE SENT A WRONG MESSAGE TO EXISTING AND POTENTIAL TRIAD MEMBERS BY IMPLYING THAT THEY COULD SAFELY COMMENCE OR MAINTAIN TRIAD MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY COULD RENOUNCE IT LATER.
TRIAD
"FOLLOWING THE SUSPENSION OF THE TRIBUNAL, THE RENUNCIATION SECRETARIAT WILL TAKE OVER THE STORAGE AND HANDLING OF RENUNCIATION RECORDS. SINCE THIS IS A BODY INDEPENDENT OF ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF ITS RECORDS WILL BR MAINTAINED."
/"SUCCESSFUL RENOUNCERS