XN000022-1985-02-26 — Page 6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1985

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DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED

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THE GOVERNOR, AFTER TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, HAS DECIDED THAT THE DEATH SENTENCE PASSED ON CHAN MUN-WA ON OCTOBER 5, 1983 SHOULD BE COMMUTED TO TWENTY-FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT.

CHAN WAS FOUND GUILTY OF THE MURDER OF HIS EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BROTHER, CHAN KAM-MING ON FEBRUARY 18, 1983.

URBAN COUNCIL SENDS RARE DUCKS TO THAILAND

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THE URBAN COUNCIL TODAY SHIPPED 12 WHITE-WINGED WOOD DUCKS, A RARE AND HIGHLY ENDANGERED SPECIES, TO BANGKOK.

CATHAY PACIFIC FLEW THE DUCKS TO BANGKOK FREE OF CHARGE AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, WHICH FINANCES AND ADMINISTERS THE HONG KONG ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL GARDENS WHERE THE BIRDS WERE REARED, PAID FOR THE SHIPPING CRATES AND THE NECESSARY EXPORT DOCUMENTS AND CERTIFICATION.

+THE SHIPMENT IS AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION BY BOTH ORGANISATIONS TO A WORLD WILDLIFE FUND PROJECT AIMED AT SAVING THIS THREATENED SPECIES FROM EXTINCTION,+ SAID A COUNCIL SPOKESMAN.

THE FORMER RANGE OF THE WHITE-WINGED WOOD DUCK WAS FROM ASSAM AND BURMA THROUGH THAILAND AND INDO CHINA TO SUMATRA AND JAVA, HABITAT DESTRUCTION ON A MASSIVE SCALE AND OVER-HUNTING, COMBINED TO CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC DECLINË IN NUMBERS, AND THIS SPECIES IS NOW EXTINCT IN MANY AREAS WHERE IT USED TO BE FOUND, INCLUDING THAILAND.

THE 12 DUCKS FLOWN TO BANGKOK WERE HATCHED AND REARED AT THE HONG KONG ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL GARDENS DURING 1984. THE IR PARENTS ARE ON BREEDING LOAN FROM THE WILDFOWL TRUST IN ENGLAND, WHOSE HONORARY DIRECTOR IS SIR PETER SCOTT.

THE WILDFOWL TRUST IS CO-ORDINATING WORLD WILDLIFE FUND PROJECT 406, WHICH AIMS TO PROPAGATE THIS RARE DUCK IN CAPTIVITY IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO RE INTRODUCE THE BIRDS IN AREAS OF THE IR FORMER RANGE WHERE THEY NO LONGER OCCUR.

/IT IS