XN000022-1988-06-22 — Page 25

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1988

AUTUMN START INTENDED FOR TRIAD RENUNCIATION SCHEME

THE

THE GOVERNMENT HOPES TO START THE TRIAD RENUNCIATION SCHEME IN AUTUMN, AND TO REVIEW IT AFTER SIX MONTHS OF OPERATION, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"

"THERE ARE NO MEANS OF PREDICTING HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL COMB FORWARD, BUT WE SHALL ENSURE A GOOD DEGREE OF PUBLICITY BEFOREHAND, HE SAID.

2)

TRIAD

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) (NO. BILL, MR BARNES SAID ITS PURPOSE WAS TO INTRODUCE THE RENUNCIATION SCHEME WHICH WOULD ALLOW A TRIAD MEMBER, OR A PERSON WHO BELIEVED HIMSELF TO BE A TRIAD MEMBER, FORMALLY TO RENOUNCE HIS TRIAD MEMBERSHIP.

"IT IS BELIEVED THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INITIATED AS TRIAD MEMBERS, OR HAVE JOINED TRIAD SOCIETIES, WHO MAY HAVE DONE SO UNDER DURESS, HE SAID.

..

"SOME TRIAD MEMBERS TAKE OATHS DURING THE IR INITIATION, AND THIS HAS GIVEN RISE TO THE ASSERTION: ONCE A TRIAD, ALWAYS A TRIAD'.

NO MEANS BY WHICH AN HIS MEMBERSHIP. HE UNDER THE SOCIETIES

"UNDER THE LAW AS IT STANDS THERE ARE INITIATED TRIAD MEMBER CAN ABSOLVE HIMSELF OF WILL ALWAYS FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF PROSECUT LON ORDINANCE.'

STATUTORY SCHEME OF

MR BARNES EXPLAINED THAT THE IDEA OF A RENUNCIATION OF TRIAD MEMBERSHIP WAS FIRST MOOTED IN THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSION DOCUMENT 'OPTIONS FOR CHANGES IN THE LAW AND IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAW ΤΟ COUNTER THE TRIAD PROBLEM' PUBLISHED IN APRIL 1986.

THE DOCUMENT PROPOSED THAT THE SCHEME SHOULD BE RUN BY THE POLICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE JUDICIARY.

THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE, HOWEVER, CONSIDERED THAT, IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO RENOUNCE THEIR TRIAD MEMBERSHIP, THE SCHEME SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF POLICE OR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE AND SHOULD BF ADMINISTRATIVE IN NATURE, SIMILAR TO A LICENSING OR PAROLE SCHEME.

IT WOULD APPLY TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT STAFF.

INCLUDING

"THE BILL