The first DNA database in Hong Kong is to be set up soon, after Legco passed a bill yesterday allowing samples to be taken from those suspected or convicted of serious crimes.
Under the Dangerous Drugs, Independent Commission Against Corruption and Police Force (Amendment) Ordinance, police and anti-graft officers can be authorised to take DNA samples from anyone suspected or convicted of 'serious arrestable offences'.
The DNA will be stored permanently in the database, although suspects who are not convicted will have their samples destroyed. The data could be retrieved and matched if the criminals are suspected of involvement in other offences.
Serious arrestable offences are those that carry a jail term of not less than seven years.
An attempt by Democrat James To Kun-sun to specify in the law that Chinese state organs should be barred from access to the database was voted down.
Another amendment by Mr To to limit the administration's right to match DNA data to subsequent serious arrestable crimes, not lesser ones, was also defeated.