XN000022-1981-02-11 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981

+THE CHINESE HAVE LONG REGARDED A CHILD IN ITS FOETAL FORM AS A HUMAN LIFE AND, ACCORDING TO TRADITIONAL CHINESE PRACTICE, THE FOETAL STAGE COUNTS AS AGE, SO THAT A CHILD IS RECKONED AS ONE YEAR OLD IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH.

+ON FILIAL PIETY, THE REFERENCE TO THE 'TEN-MONTH PREGNANCY PER 100' IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ONE'S GREAT INDEBTEDNESS TO CNE'S PARENTS IN THE LEGENDARY 'LEUNG TIN LOY CASE' WHILE THE ALLUSION TO 'SEVEN CORPSES WITH EIGHT LIVES' IS ALSO ILLUSTRATIVE OF THIS CONVENTIONAL BELIEF AMONG THE CHINESE.+

MR SO NOTED OUT THAT ANY WOMAN WHO SOUGHT AN ABORTION MUST BE AN UNFORTUNATE PERSON FOR, AFTER ALL, WHO WANTED TO GET RID OF HER OWN FLESH AND BLOOD IF AN ALTERNATIVE WAS AVAILABLE.

+TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE, WE SHOULD GIVE OUR SYMPATHY AND CONCRETE SUPPORT, INSTEAD OF DEVISING WAYS AND MEANS TO DESTROY LIFE.

+RESPECT FOR LIFE SHOULD BE THE BASIS OF ALL EFFORTS OF A CIVILISED SOCIETY.

+AFTER ALL, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, I MUST ASK WHO IS TO DETERMINE WHO IS FIT TO SURVIVE AND WHO IS NOT? HE ASKED.

THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN PROPOSED THAT THE CLAUSE RELATING TO FOETUS ABNORMALITY BE AMENDED SO THAT AN ABORTION MIGHT ONLY BE PERFORMED WHERE THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK THAT THE CHILD, IF EORN, WOULD BE SO SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED AS TO BE UNABLE TO EXIST WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL CARE OR ASSISTANCE FOR LIFE.

WHILE SUPPORTING THE BILL, HE EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERN OVER THE PROPOSAL WHICH ALLOWED AN ABORTION TO BE PERFORMED IF TWO REGISTERED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS WERE OF THE OPINION, FORMED IN GOOD FAITH, THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK THAT THE CHILD, IF BORN, WOULD SUFFER FROM SUCH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ABNORMALITY AS TO BE SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED.

+MY CONCERN IS, HE SAID, THAT NO MENTION IS MADE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS HANDICAP.

+WOULD IT, FOR EXAMPLE, INCLUDE A CHILD BORN WITH A CLUB FOOT OR A DISLOCATED KIP?+

MR CHAN BELIEVED THAT A PREGNANT WOMAN WHO HAD JUST BEEN TOLD THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK THAT HER CHILD, IF BORN, WOULD EE SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED, WOULD FE UNDER SUCH SEVERE STRAIN AND SUFFERING FROM SUCH MENTAL ANGUISH THAT SHE WOULD BE LIKELY TO DECIDE IN FAVOUR OF AN ABORTION, NO MATTER HOW MINOR THE HANDICAP MIGHT BE.

J

+ INDEED AND WITHOUT DOUET. MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BORN HAD PROVISION EXISTED EARLIER FOR ABORTIONS ON DEMAND FOR THOSE SUSPECTED OF EE ING PREGNANT WITH A MALFORMED FOETUS.

+BECAUSE OF THIS, I CONSIDER THE CLAUSE SHOULD SPECIFY MORE CLEARLY WHAT IS MEANT BY SERIOUS HANDICAP. HE SAID.

/THE REV