How can associate degrees be improved? The government has decided to assist with funding for those who wish to take up an associate-degree course. This means more taxpayers' money will be drained. I am not sure whether this is an appropriate measure to be taken. Associate degrees have been designed to help out students who are unable to get into a university. They failed to get in not because there are insufficient places in the universities, but because they have not done well enough in their studies. I do not think it a wise move to devise these second- or third-grade courses, call them associate degrees and give these students the impression there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think the best solution would be to cancel the associate-degree courses. H.C. Bee, Kowloon Tong Should the penalty for illegal dumping be increased? I think the penalty for illegal dumping should be increased. Our natural environment and beautiful country parks are valuable assets. These areas will suffer a great deal of damage if a lot of waste is dumped. And even after the waste is cleared, it can take a long time for the affected land to recover. Offenders should bear the cost involved in cleaning up the area. In addition, such irresponsible behaviour is in blatant violation of Hong Kong's laws. To uphold the rule of law, offenders should face stiffer penalties. Michael Leung Chung-hong, Sham Shui Po On other matters ... I refer to Alison McLaughlin's letter on the need for proper consultation with all local residents on the plans for developing the proposed Ma Hang Headland Park (Talkback, April 10) in Stanley on a 50,000 square metre site. We fully recognise the need to consult the community to develop a park that meets public expectations. We held two community engagement workshops in December 2006 and last month to solicit ideas from various stakeholders in Stanley, such as green groups, representatives from the district council, residents and community groups. The consensus was to develop the headland into a local open space that maintains the tranquillity and naturalness of the environment, while we improve the conditions of existing facilities. By making the best use of the existing site profile of the headland and minimising disturbance to the natural habitat, we will create small pockets of interesting spaces that add educational and amenity value for users, while keeping most of the headland in its natural form. The design proposal is based on the suggestions gathered at the workshops and is supported by the district council. To preserve the ecology of the headland, we have engaged an ecological consultant to advise on monitoring measures during the execution of the works and enhancement measures. Rosa Ho Lok So-fun, chief architect, Housing Department With regard to the continuing public space debate, could someone clarify one particular issue for me? In certain public areas, a large proportion of the space is given over to grass, which in most cities would be accessible to people. Here, however, it tends to be marked as off limits. The security guards in the IFC podium public areas zealously guard their grass, explaining that if they let me, for example, sit on it, then they would have to let domestic helpers do the same on Sundays. Is it or isn't it part of the public space? And if it is, is it public for everyone or just some people? I am confused. A. Cable, Cheung Chau It has been pointed out to me that the Chinese have a deep sense of having the right to fill in an unoccupied space as one's own space. You see evidence of this where I live in Beijing. First-floor residents occupy the supposedly public landscaped front yard. In Hong Kong, it is common to see residents leaving their belongings, including trash bags, in public corridors or stairs. Now it turns out that, in Hong Kong, developers have for years also been using public space for private use. Such a cultural characteristic defies any sense of wrongdoing. Consequently, those who occupy these spaces seem to feel enforcement by law is unnecessary. The public tacitly accepts its rights being taking away. In fact, this is not something that we should just blindly accept. Public space exists for a purpose - for the common good of us all. Therefore, laws enshrining and ensuring public space must be enforced at all times. If laws are repeatedly broken, then clearly officials are not doing their jobs. I agree with the comments of Albert Cheng King-hon ('Don't lose the plot', April 12), that the laws protecting public space should be enforced and there should be no trade-offs with private developers. John Yuan, Beijing I am a resident of Hong Kong and keenly interested in the fighting, particularly by the Canadians, during the December 1941 invasion. I am interested in the battles and subsequent surrender, imprisonment, torture and executions of civilians and military by the Japanese. I have been to Stanley Military Cemetery before, but on Saturday I went to see the new commemorative walls and plaques ('Known soldiers', April 8), which have been added to honour 2,435, mostly local, servicemen. I noticed a group of local photographers arriving with five local models and four makeup staff to take some pictures using this new area as a backdrop. I approached the photographers and questioned them about what they were doing. They politely explained that they were amateur photographers, not commercial, taking photos 'for fun' because they 'liked the area'. They understood the significance of this site and said that they were adhering to the notice on the sign at the entrance, 'to behave quietly and with respect for those buried here'. It is also interesting that there is a TV commercial which portrays a model sitting in front of the word 'Cemetery'. Only in Hong Kong would one desecrate the resting place and memory of those Asians, Indians and westerners who gave their lives in the defence of Hong Kong, for commercial profit and amateur fun. Philip Richards, Sheung Wan
