I HAVE just returned to Hongkong after spending the festive week in England.
As one is required to do on such trips, I regaled my family and friends with tales about life in the territory. I even went so far as to say that, compared with living in London, Hongkong is a very safe place to be. Ladies on their own do not walk in fear as they return home at night and the perceived threat of violence against oneself is non-existent.
However, I feel that I should retract my statement as the scenes from the news on Wednesday night show the streets of Hongkong to be not much better than the main street of Dodge City during the wildest of the Wild West days. The sheer audacity, ruthlessness and desperation of the armed robbers is extremely unnerving.
There was a total disregard for human life as they tried to blast their way out of trouble and the result was there for us all to see on our television screens as an innocent woman lay dying.
Even though there will always be a desperate, hardline criminal fraternity, I strongly believe that mainland gangs would think twice before embarking on a gun-wielding robbing spree if the death penalty was in force in Hongkong for these types of violentcrimes.
The Government should seriously re-consider the question of re-introducing capital punishment as it must show, not only to the criminals, but also to the local populace, that it is tackling the recent wave of violent crime with all the resources at its disposal.
