REPLY:
18
WEDSDAY OCTOBER 19, 1994
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF INDECENT AND OBSCENE ARTICLES RECEIVED BY THE TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY (TELA) FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR AMOUNTS TO 120, OF WHICH 17
WERE CASES
IN WRITING AND 103 THROUGH THE COMPLAINT HOTLINE. BREAKDOWN OF THESE COMPLAINTS IS AS FOLLOWS :
A)
A
66 CASES ALLEGED THAT PARTICULAR ARTICLES SOLD OR HIRED THE MARKET WERE OBJECTIONABLE;
IN
B)
24 CASES ALLEGED THAT PARTICULAR ARTICLES ON PUBLIC DISPLAY WERE INDECENT;
C)
20 CASES ALLEGED THAT PARTICULAR SHOPS OR NEWSVENDORS HAD SOLD OR HIRED INDECENT ARTICLES TO JUVENILES; AND
D)
10 CASES OFFERED THE VIEW THAT MORE VIGOROUS ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES.
ABOVE
ALL ARTICLES WHICH HAD BEEN THE SUBJECT OF THE COMPLAINTS, I.E. THOSE COVERED BY (A) AND (B) IN PARAGRAPH 1 ABOVE, WERE REFERRED
TELA TO THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL (OAT). SINCE SUBMIT ARTICLES TO THE OAT BOTH AS A RESULT OF COMPLAINTS AND ON THE BASIS OF ITS OWN SURVEILLANCE, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY THOSE SUBMITTED AS A RESULT OF COMPLAINTS AND ASCERTAIN THE OAT'S DECISIONS IN THESE CASES. IT IS ESTIMATED, HOWEVER, THAT ABOUT 15% OF THE ARTICLES UNDER COMPLAINTS WERE CLASSIFIED BY THE OAT AS CLASS I (NEITHER OBSCENE OR INDECENT), ABOUT 80% CLASS II (INDECENT) AND ABOUT 5% CLASS III (OBSCENE).
APART FROM SUBMITTING ARTICLES UNDER COMPLAINT TO THE OAT, TELA WITH TOOK ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS EITHER BY ITSELF OR IN JOINT OPERATIONS THE POLICE. AS A RESULT OF SUCH ACTIONS ON THE COMPLAINTS MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 1 ABOVE, TELA ISSUED SUMMONSES TO 30 PERSONS, OF WHOM WERE CONVICTED WITH FINES RANGING FROM $500 TO $30,000 WHILE 7 CASES ARE STILL PENDING A COURT RULING.
23
SELLING INDECENT COMIC BOOKS TO YOUNGSTERS BELOW 18, AS WITH THE SALE OF OTHER INDECENT PUBLICATIONS TO SUCH YOUNGSTERS, CONSTITUTES AN OFFENCE UNDER THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES ORDINANCE. OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE, ON CONVICTION, TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $200,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR 12 MONTHS. THEREFORE, THE IN ADMINISTRATION SEES NO NEED TO DRAW UP DIFFERENT CONTROL MEASURES THE SALE AND DISPLAY OF COMIC BOOKS. HOWEVER, THE ADMINISTRATION SEES THE NEED TO MAKE ALL INDECENT ARTICLES LESS ACCESSIBLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE BELOW 18. TO HELP TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL PROPOSE LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS TO SPELL OUT CLEARLY THE MINIMUM SIZE OF THE WARNING NOTICE ON THE COVER OF INDECENT ARTICLES AND TO REQUIRE THESE ARTICLES TO BE PROPERLY ENCLOSED IN OPAQUE WRAPPERS.
/19
Page 20Page 21