**: 31
DA
A.K. PRESS REVIEW
The Death Penalty
22/10 to 29/10
In the Legislative Council on October 22 and 23, a number of Unofficial Members, including Dr. Chung Sze-yuen and Mrs. Joyce Symons, spoke in support of enforcing the death penalty.
The speeches, coupled with earlier discussion on the matter in the Chinese language newspapers, were followed by 20 editorials. called for the return of capital punishment.
All
Eight papers, Kung Sheung Daily News (23.10.75), New Life Evening Post (24.10.75), Kung Sheung Evening News (23.10.75), Hong Kong Daily News (27.10.75), Wah Kiu Yat Po (26.10.75), Sing Tao Wan Pao (21.10.75) and the communist Tin Fung Yat Po (24.10.75) and Hong Kong Evening News (21.10.75), believed that hanging would have a strong deterrent effect on criminals.
Kung Sheung Daily News quoted Mrs. Joyce Symons as saying that those who knew Hong Kong well firmly believed that the death penalty would deter violent crime.
"The British Government should respect the opinion of the people of Hong Kong and should not turn a blind eye to our reasonable and lawful request," Kung Sheung said.
As for using the matter of defence costs as a bargaining weapon to have the death penalty restored in Hong Kong, Kung Sheung said: "It is feasible in principle."
"The people of Hong Kong should not compromise but should use every possible means to bring back capital punishment," the paper added.
New Life Evening Post and the communist Hong Kong Evening News believed that the death penalty would be an effective deterrent against "professional" juvenile offenders.
"Britain should not intervene in the affairs of Hong Kong. She should respect Chinese ethics and beliefs and restore capital punishment,' New Life Evening Post said.
"The Hong Kong Government has a responsibility to convey public opinion to Britain in order to restore public confidence and stabilise the crime situation in Hong Kong," the paper ended its editorial.
The communist Hong Kong Evening News said that it was unreasonable for Hong Kong to follow the same system of law in Britain because the two places were utterly different.
Britain, the paper said, should respect the opinions of the people of Hong Kong.
This view was echoed in Wah Kiu Yat Po, Kung Sheung Evening News, Hong Kong Daily News, Hong Kong Times (22.10.75), Sing Tao Jih Pao (26.10.75) and the communist Tin Fung Yat Po.
Wah Kiu Yat Po said that the authorities should not follow Britain so blindly and hand out pardons to murderers which is "against their own conscience".
Kung Sheung Evening News said: "The British Government should respect public opinion and allow the Hong Kong Government to decide whether to bring back hanging or not."
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