XN000022-1993-09-23 — Page 7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1993

"THE DEPARTMENT HAS PUT FORWARD THIS PROPOSAL INVOLVES HIGHER RISKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE NOT RECEIVED ANY FORMAL TRAINING.

APPRECIATING WHILE

IT

BECAUSE

WHO HAVE

ARE

THE MERITS OF THE PROPOSAL, COMMISSION MEMBERS FELT THAT TOTAL PROHIBITION WOULD AFFECT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO PRESENTLY WORKING ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.

RELAYING THE COMMISSION'S CONCERNS, MR LI SAID CONSIDERATION 18 WHO HAVE SHOULD,

BE GIVEN TO ALLOW YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER HOWEVER, RECEIVED PROPER TRAINING TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THESE SITES.

"WE NOTE THAT THE DETAILED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS HAVE YET TO BE MATTER AND THE DRAWN

WE HAVE REGISTERED OUR INTEREST IN THIS UP.

TO SPECIFIC REQUEST COMMISSION

BE CONSULTED ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS," MR LI EMPHASISED.

MADE HAS

A

AT THE MEETING OF THE COMMISSION, MEMBERS WERE ALSO BRIEFED THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR ANTHONY CHAN, ON PROFILE OF UNDERAGE GIRLS WORKING IN KARAOKE ESTABLISHMENTS.

BY

THE

THE DEPARTMENT

GIRL'S HOME KARAOKE

то THE QUESTIONNAIRES COLLECTED BY ACCORDING FROM 120 GIRLS REFERRED BY THE POLICE TO THE MA TAU WEI FOR TEMPORARY CUSTODY, ALL INDICATED THAT THEY WORKED IN THE ESTABLISHMENTS ON THEIR OWN FREE WILL.

IN THE FACT THAT MANY UNDERAGE GIRLS ARE ATTRACTED TO WORKING SUCH ESTABLISHMENTS,

CONNOTATIONS AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE NEGATIVE

TO MAKE POSSIBLE VICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES, DEMONSTRATES THEIR DESIRE QUICK MONEY, HE SAID.

"WE ARE

ATTITUDES.

ABOUT CONCERNED

THE

UNDERLYING

REASONS

FOR

SUCH

OF

IS

"WE WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT MEASURES TO STEP UP THE CONTROL KARAOKE ESTABLISHMENTS, HOWEVER WE FEAR THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION A MANIFESTATION OF CHANGING SOCIAL VALUES WHICH CANNOT BE ADDRESSED BY CONTROLLING THE OPERATIONS OF KARAOKE ESTABLISHMENTS ALONE.

THESE

FOR

YOUNG

ARE ONLY ONE OF THE CHANNELS ESTABLISHMENTS GIRLS TO MAKE EASY MONEY. THERE COULD WELL BE OTHERS, HE SAID.

"THE

FEELS THAT THERE IS A COMMISSION

NEED TO RE-EMPHASISE PREVALENCE OF SOCIAL AND MORAL VALUES, WHICH HAS BEEN ERODED BY THE PORNOGRAPHY, GLAMORISATION OF CRIME AND TRIAD ACTIVITIES BY FILMS TV DRAMAS AND EXAGGERATION OF MATERIALISM, MR LI SAID.

11

THE COMMISSION FEELS STRONGLY THAT NECESSARY, HE ADDED.

THE

AND

POSITIVE

ACTION

IS

"TOWARDS THIS END, WE WILL SET UP A WORKING GROUP FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN INFLUENCING YOUNG ATTITUDES AND SOCIAL

POSSIBLE VALUES AND TO EXPLORE THE CONVEY POSITIVE AND PROPER MESSAGES TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

TO EXAMINE PEOPLE'S

MEANS

ΤΟ

INFLUENCE

OUR

"THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA, WHICH HAS AN IMPORTANT ON YOUNG PEOPLE'S VALUES AND BELIEFS, WOULD FEATURE STRONGLY IN STUDY," HE SAID.

17