HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 2nd October 1969. 25
Sir, I have much pleasure in heartily supporting the motion before Council.
MR TSE YU-CHUEN:-Your Excellency, I am glad to note from the speech of Your Excellency, on 1st October that crime* in Hong Kong is not so serious as generally understood and is actually less than that in many other parts of the world owing to good capacity to combat these evil and high detention rates. Nevertheless, offences and delinquency committed by youth are having the increasing attention of the community and call for remedial measures as well as a funda- mental adjustment of this grave question.
When World War II enveloped nearly the entire globe in flames, the course of education could not proceed on its normal course. Parents had a hard time to fight for survival and could not be expected to turn their attention to home training of their children. The devastation of war and the breaking up of homes exacted a heavy toll on children who were denied of proper education and home breeding. Over the years these children have grown up in ever increasing numbers. Now these grown-ups lacked the warmth of home upbring- ing and a sound education. Without a good moral background and without suitable home and school training, they are further tempted by sex and other enticements, swerve off the road of decorum and become delinquents and disorderly elements. In worse cases, they fall into a life of crime and group themselves into bandit gangs to embark on all kinds of offences to disrupt the community. Youth indulging in crime and unrest are rampant all over the world.
Hong Kong serves as a junction of communication between the East and the West but is located in a tight and small area. Its population reached 3,700,000 in 1967 as stated in an official census. Now the figure climbs to over four million mark. Most of them are teenagers and young people. Many went through the baptism of affliction during World War II. Introvertly they are now menaced by economic difficulties, deficiency in education and hardship in securing employment. Extrovertly they are affected by vain and unwholesome influence as prevailing in Europe and America. Therefore crime records in Hong Kong show that most of the offenders are youngsters. The question of halting criminal offences by youth has a direct bearing on the prosperity of the community and the security of the people. This is an important problem.
In my view, the prevention of youth from committing offences merely through reform and rehabilitation cannot attain the desired result. As suggested by my honourable Friend, Mr Oswald CHEUNG,
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