TNAG-1734-FCO40-2447-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 122

SOCIETIES (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) BILL 1988

Resumption of debate on Second Reading (22 June 1988)

Question proposed.

le.

DR. HO KAM-FAI:

sir,

The Administration is serious and firm in its fight against organised crimes and triad activities. Alongside its standard strategies to crack down triads, the Administration aims at disintegrating the triad societies by reducing the number of their members. This Bill is designed precisely to achieve this end, so that the reformed triad members can turn over a new leaf and to live as law-abiding and socially productive citizens.

However, whether the Bill will be successful in encouraging the triad members to come forward to sever their connection with triad societies is contingent upon certain conditions. The members of the public, especially those who wish to renounce their triad membership must be made aware of the renunciation scheme and convinced of the Administration's genuine intention to help the renounced triad members rather than to prosecute them. Hence, it is imperative for the Administration to mount a series of territory-wide publicity campaigns through various forms of media to inform the public. Announcements of public interest, short documentaries and public affairs series ought to be given prime slots by the electronic media and broadcast regularly. Posters should be put up in places where young people are inclined to frequent and information leaflets should be distributed to them.

order to promote the scheme, social workers, teachers, disciplinary masters, school counsellors, police community relations officers, junior police call members, and so forth must be thoroughly briefed on the purposes of the renunciation

scheme.

In

(I)