XN000022-1984-10-24 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1984

HE ADDED THAT IT WAS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT HESITATE TO CARRY OUT THE WHICH IS STILL HONG KONG'S STATUTE BOOK.

DEATH PENALTY

MR WONG SAID AFTER THE TERRORIST BOMB ATTACK IN BRIGHTON THE MOVEMENT TO RESTORE THE DEATH PENALTY IN ENGLAND WAS GATHERING MOMENTUM.

+ IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE OVERALL INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY MUST OVERRIDE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, HE SAID.

IF THE DEATH PENALTY WAS EVER TO BE CARRIED OUT IN HONG KONG, HE WOULD NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE RETURN OF THE GALLOWS.

IT WAS A PRIMITIVE FORM OF EXECUTION WHICH BELONGED TO ANOTHER AGE, HE SAID.

HE SUGGESTED THAT A CIVILISED METHOD SHOULD BE USED, SUCH AS THE INJECTION OF A LETHAL SOLUTION PRECEDED BY AN APPROPRIATE DOSE OF ANAESTHESIA AS EVEN THE MOST ATROCIOUS OF CRIMINALS DESERVED HUMANE TREATMENT.

ON INFILTRATION OF TRIADS INTO SCHOOLS, MR WONG SAID DESPITE ASSURANCES BY THE GOVERNMENT HE WAS NOT SATISFIED THAT ENOUGH HAD BEEN DONE TO PROTECT THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF SOCIETY FROM TRIAD INFLUENCE,

+I WOULD URGE THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO UNDERESTIMATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS PROBLEM AND TO TAKE POSITIVE STEPS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION BEFORE IT GETS WORSE.

+I WOULD ALSO APPEAL TO SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AND PARENTS NOT TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO THIS DESTRUCTIVE FORCE WHICH IS THREATENING THE HEALTHY EXISTENCE OF OUR SCHOOLS.

+THE IR CO-OPERATION IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO SUCCEED IN ERADICATING THE TRIAD ELEMENT FROM OUR EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS.+

MR WONG ALSO CALLED FOR REFORM OF THE TEXTILE QUOTA SYSTEM. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE VOLUME OF QUOTA TRANSFERS IN 1983 FOR THE U.S. MARKET HAD INCREASED TO THE EXTENT THAT THE QUOTAS TRANSFERRED EXCEEDED 50 PER CENT OF THE OVERALL RESTRAINED LIMIT. THIS SHOWED THAT THE QUOTA HOLDINGS WERE NOW OUT OF LINE WITH THE STRUCTURE OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE.

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM URGENTLY +TO SAFEGUARD THE COMMUNITY'S WIDER INTERESTS IN THIS MATTER.+

MR WONG, DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR A THIRD UNIVERSITY, SAID HE WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED TO LEARN THAT A NUMBER OF SITES FOR SUCH AN INSTITUTION HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED.

/UNIVERSITY EDUCATION