The government also flatly refused to delay the Symphony of Lights show at Victoria Harbour for three minutes last night in support of the 'Lights Out' campaign.

Mr Tsang's excuse was that the action 'would send a message that protecting the environment is inconsistent with modern life'. This is complete nonsense. A three-minute delay of the show would hardly damage Hong Kong's image or upset tourists. Rather, it would teach them that environmental protection is everyone's responsibility. It would send a strong message to the world that the city cares deeply about the environment.

Mr Tsang missed a wonderful opportunity to show his determination to ensure cleaner skies and pave his way to re-election.

KEN SOO, Wan Chai

What about the victim?

What is going on with our legal system?

Several teenage gangsters abused and finally killed one of their friends and were convicted of manslaughter on August 4. The whole process was terrible. One of the culprits said they had treated this 'female object' as a punchbag, hitting 'it' when they had nothing else to do. They didn't expect her to die and thought she could 'tolerate' and 'withstand' their hitting and other vile abuses. Later, they dragged her body to a hilltop and poured acid over it.

Yet they were found guilty only of manslaughter, not murder. The jurors thought these so-called 'innocent kids' did not expect the victim to die. What kind of logic is that? Is it because these criminals are young? Should they not be held fully responsible for what they have done?

Hong Kong's judicial system does not do much for the victim nowadays. Shouldn't victims or their families be given the chance to express their views during a trial on the appropriate sentence? Our children fear nothing because they know they will not be severely punished, even if the offence is serious.

ANDY LAU CHI-WAI, Tseung Kwan O

Dangerous obsession

Your picture and report ('Women strive for whiter shade of pale', August 7) about the absurd lengths some Shanghai women go to in an effort to protect their skin from the sunlight resonated with me.

That same day I was almost knocked down by one such apparition on a busy Shanghai street - this woman wore what looked like a tapestry cushion cover over most of her head, which must have severely impeded her side vision, and dark sunglasses. To top off this ensemble, she wore a large black visor, ensuring that her lily-white skin remained so and that her lack of vision made her a danger to others.

She was cycling at speed down a narrow pavement and we had to jump out of her way since she obviously couldn't see well enough to steer around the pedestrians.

If these women care more about their skin tone than the danger they represent to others, they should not be allowed to ride bicycles or motorcycles on the roads, still less the pavements.

PAUL SURTEES, Shanghai

Failing in their duty

It is theoretically possible that the government's legal draftsmen are such paragons of perfection that not one of the 200 amendments proposed to the covert surveillance bill has any value, but does anyone with a functioning brain believe this?

If this bill is as important to Hong Kong as the government keeps insisting, why were most pro-government legislators so reluctant to actually debate the merits of the amendments before mindlessly voting them down one after another like a troop of well-programmed robots? Many of them did not even bother to be present in the chamber for much of the debate.

Legislators, whatever their political leaning, are elected to scrutinise legislation in depth, not to blindly follow the government's urging. It is true that much of this work is normally done in committee, but such a contentious and important bill deserves more detailed consideration by the full membership of the Legislative Council.

Those on the pro-government side of the house simply were not doing their job on this occasion, and we can only hope that the voters punish them accordingly when they seek re-election.

RODERICK PARKES, Tai Po

Disneyland a surprise

I recently visited Hong Kong Disneyland with my two young boys for the first time. Having read and heard all the negative stories about it, I must say that we enjoyed ourselves. The place is clean, most of the staff are friendly, and the environment is quite festive. We only had to wait for a short period for most of the attractions and the restaurants.

Having been to other theme parks in the region, I must admit, however, that I was very surprised at how small it is. I only hope that the park will be able to expand quickly because it's quite embarrassing to show overseas friends and relatives that the Disneyland in Asia's 'world city' is so tiny. I think there's still hope, but to me, size does matter. It's a good thing we still have Ocean Park.

JONATHAN WANG, Pokfulam

Spitting not sporting

Passing through Lhasa airport recently I bumped into a very personable Chinese gentleman who also possibly happens to be the world's greatest spitter.

Unfortunately, spitting has not yet been selected as an Olympic sport, otherwise we could count on another gold at Beijing in 2008.

Seriously though, the mainland should make a concerted effort to outlaw this disgusting and unhygienic behaviour, especially with the ongoing concerns over bird flu. Perhaps Hong Kong's authorities could advise the folks up north on how they approached the issue.

JASON ALI, Sheung Wan