XN000022-1973-10-31 — Page 33

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Wednesday, October 31, 1973

CALL FOR TOUGHER ACTION AGAINST SMUT

Stricter Laws, Higher Penalties Needed Mr. Lobo

Another "strong man" with full powers and facilities is needed to tackle

the worsening problem of pornography, the Hon. R.H. Lobo suggested today.

"An alternative would be an independent committee with power to

take restrictive and punitive action," he said.

Speaking in the Legislative Council debate, Mr. Lobo noted that

many citizens were becoming more and more disturbed over the increasing

immorality and indecency and there had been suggestions that the spread of

pornography had influenced the increase in the crime rate.

The existing law needs teeth to cope against obscenity and

immorality," he stressed. "At present the law is neither clear nor effective

and the penalties for immoral publications are not severe enough."

Mr. Lobo suggested that the Executive should have powers of

confiscation and these powers should be widely used. Because of the lack

of a single responsible body to deal with the problem and the lack of co-

operation between government departments and welfare organisations, efforts

to combat indecency had been "spasmodic, short-lived and limited in scope,

he noted.

He emphasised that earnest and effective action was needed now

unless Hong Kong was prepared to accept indecency as a way of life.

/Turning to