XN000022-1993-12-09 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9,

1993

THE LEGISLATIVE

LOOPHOLE.

NEXT

AMENDMENTS SOUGHT TO RECTIFY AND PLUG THIS

UNDER THESE AMENDMENTS, WHICH BECOME EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 14 YEAR,

IT WILL BE AN OFFENCE TO SELL, HIRE, LEND, GIVE OR EVEN SHOW A CATEGORY III TAPE OR DISC TO A PERSON BELOW THE AGE OF 18 AND CONTRAVENTIONS WILL ATTRACT A MAXIMUM FINE OF $200,000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR 12 MONTHS.

OTHER VIDEO TAPES AND LASER DISCS THAT ARE NOT MADE FROM A FILM ARE NOT AFFECTED AND WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY (TELA) FOR PREVIEW.

ALSO, APPROPRIATE CLASSIFICATION SYMBOLS AND WARNING NOTICES REQUIRED TO BE DISPLAYED ON THE VIDEO TAPES AND LASER DISCS AS WELL AS ON RELATED MATERIALS.

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THE PACKAGING OF A CATEGORY III TAPE OR DISC IS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED FOR SCRUTINY BY TELA WHICH WOULD REQUIRE IT TO BE WRAPPED UP WITH OPAQUE PAPER IF IT CONTAINED EXPLICIT SEXUAL AND OFFENSIVE MATERIALS SO THAT THE OFFENSIVE WORDS OR PICTURE WOULD NOT BE VISIBLE.

MRS LAU ALSO TOLD THE MEETING THAT AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FIRM COMMISSIONED BY TELA WOULD COMPLETE A FILM STANDARD SURVEY AROUND JANUARY.

SHE SAID THE SURVEY, UNDER WAY SINCE NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, WAS A BIENNIAL EXERCISE AIMED AT "FINDING OUT WHETHER THE STANDARDS WE USE IN CLASSIFYING FILMS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE USED, CONSCIOUSLY OR SUBCONSCIOUSLY, BY GENERAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC."

"THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY WILL PROVIDE US WITH AN OBJECTIVE BASIS TO CONSIDER WHAT, IF ANY, CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO OUR FILM CENSORSHIP GUIDELINES AND ALSO OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, SHE ADDED.

AN ASPECT BEING LOOKED INTO IN THE SURVEY IS FILM POSTERS.

MRS LAU SAID: "I AM AWARE OF THE VIEWS IN THE SOME FILM POSTERS FAR EXCEED THE LIMIT OF DECENCY.

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COMMUNITY THAT

"INDEED, WE HAVE TAKEN OUT PROSECUTIONS OVER SOME OF THESE.

"THE SURVEY, I HOPE, WILL GIVE US A CLEAR INDICATION ON WHETHER THERE IS GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE SUGGESTION, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT TO ME ON A FEW OCCASIONS, THAT ADVERTISING MATERIALS FOR FILMS, OR AT LEAST POSTERS, FOR CATEGORY III FILMS, SHOULD BE SUBJECT ALSO ΤΟ PRE- CENSORSHIP."

MRS LAU SAID CENSORSHIP WAS AN "EMOTIVE AND IRKSOME WORD"

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"BUT,

FEW IN OUR SOCIETY WOULD DOUBT THE NEED FOR A SYSTEM ΤΟ PROTECT THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN FROM BEING EXPOSED ΤΟ FILMS THAT PORTRAY EXCESS SEX OR VIOLENCE, SHE SAID.

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