TNAG-1362-FCO40-1808-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 125

- 3

6.

I submit, Sir, that the tribunal concept, worthy

as it is for consideration, will not in itself solve our

immediate problems. I have therefore taken up the matter

personally with the Commissioner of Police and we have agreed that Government should look into ways and means of achieving speedier and more effective action on the ground. Consideration is therefore being given to taking action not only against publishers, as we have done hitherto, but also printers, distributors and vendors who are equally liable under existing legislations. been assured that action, aiming particularly at both offending publishers and vendors, will be taken. I trust

that these measures will give the Administration time to implement a definitive solution, i.e. the tribunal concept.

I have

7.

Having said that, Sir, there remains the question as to how far such controls should go, as a line will need to be drawn between infringing on the personal freedom of

an adult who reads for his private pleasure and protecting the juveniles from indiscriminate exposure to indecent material. Pornography, by and large, is a social issue, which, like many others with a moral import, cannot and will not be 'solved' by the iron bands of the law alone.