XN000022-1982-04-22 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1982

HEAVIER PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING

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THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING WILL BE BROUGHT INTO LINE WITH THE PUNISHMENT FOR OTHER SERIOUS CRIMES UNDER THE OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSONS ORDINANCE.

A BILL SEEKING TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FROM A PRISON INM OF FOURTEEN YEARS TO IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE, WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TOMORROW.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT SEVERAL HIGH COURT JUDGES, WHILE PASSING SENTENCE IN SEPARATE CASES OF KIDNAPPING OF JUVENILES, SUGGESTED THAT THE MAXIMUM PENALTY SHOULD BE RAISED. THE CALL HAS BEEN REPEATED AND SUPPORTED BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROPOSAL WAS AIMED AT SETTING THE RIGHT LEVEL OF PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO HAD COMMITTED WHAT WAS REGARDED UNIVERSALLY AS A DESPICABLE CRIME AND THUS SHOULD PROVIDE A GREATER DETERRENT. KIDNAPPING WAS RECOGNISED TO BE A CRIME WITH THE MOST SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL - CONSEQUENCES FOR THE VICTIMS, AND THOSE IMMEDIATELY AROUND THEM.

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES COORDINATION MEETING

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THE COMMISSIONER OF TRADE, MR LAWRENCE MILLS, WILL BE LEAVING TOMORROW (FRIDAY) NIGHT FOR EUROPE TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE DEVELOPING TEXTILES EXPORTING COUNTRIES TO BE HELD IN GENEVA THROUGHOUT NEXT WEEK.

MR MILLS WILL BE JOINED BY THE COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS GENEVA), MR T.H. CHAU AND THE COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS (BRUSSELS), MR N.C.M. YEK.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE SAID TODAY THAT AT THE MEETING THE DEVELOPING TEXTILES EXPORTING COUNTRIES WOULD DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF COORDINATING THEIR POSITIONS IN READINESS FOR THEIR FORTHCOMING BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE MAJOR TEXTILES IMPORTING COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY.

THE COMMUNITY HAS ADOPTED A VERY RESTRICTIVE MANDATE FOR SUCH BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS, INCLUDING DEMANDS FOR MEASURES WHICH, IN THE VIEW OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT. THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WILL DISCUSS HOW SUCH DEMANDS CAN BE RESISTED, AND WILL ALSO CONSIDER A NUMBER OF OTHER TRADE-RELATED ISSUES.

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