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A seminar was held to mark Constitution Day today, attended by about 900 participants from various sectors of the community. The seminar was jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR to enhance public understanding of the constitutional basis of the country and Hong Kong. Before the seminar began, all participants stood and observed one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Speaking at the Seminar, Chief Executive John Lee first expressed deep condolences to the victims of the fire and offered sincere sympathies to their families and the affected residents. He said that the Hong Kong KSAR Government is devoting efforts to disaster relief and follow-up support, and will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the incident so as to prevent similar tragedies and meet public expectations. As for Constitution Day, Mr Lee said the Constitution provides the strongest rule-of-law safeguards and institutional foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and is also the constitutional basis for establishing the Hong Kong SAR. He also pointed out that Hong Kong must in future fulfil key roles and contributions as follows: safeguarding the Constitution and the Basic Law; better integrating into and serving the overall national development by seizing the national development directives and opportunities for Hong Kong set out in the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, building an international innovation and technology centre as well as a hub for international high-calibre talents, and developing new quality productive forces; and serving as a bridge for exchanges between Chinese culture and world civilisations by telling the true stories of the successful practice of "one country, two systems". The Chief Executive called on all sectors to work together to build and develop Hong Kong, contribute to the cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and vote on December 7 to elect capable and aspiring Legislative Council members who will join the Government in assisting the victims, promoting reforms and building a better home in Hong Kong. Addressing the seminar, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR Deputy Director Liu Guangyuan said the Constitution provides rule-of-law safeguards for realising the rejuvenation of the nation, lays the legal foundation for Hong Kong to integrate into the grand journey of national rejuvenation, and endows the city with institutional advantages to leverage its strengths in the great cause of national rejuvenation. Mr Liu emphasised that the Legislative Council election to be held as scheduled will demonstrate observance of and respect for the constitutional order and the spirit of the rule of law, and will provide strong support for maintaining social stability and post-tragedy reconstruction work. The poll represents the most responsible attitude towards Hong Kong's future, he added. The full version of the seminar will be uploaded to the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau website for the public to review. Click here for details of Constitution Day.
The Government has announced that the living allowance for each household affected by the Wang Fuk Court fire, channelled via the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, will be increased from $50,000 to $100,000. At least 674 households will benefit. The Government will also provide a $200,000 token of solidarity to the families of each deceased victim, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, 67 cases have been processed. Separately, the Government has so far emergency subsidy payments of $10,000 to 1,929 households. Social workers from the Social Welfare Department have been in contact with more than 1,700 affected households to help them register for the “one social worker per household” service. Departmental staff also paid a visit to affected residents staying in transitional housing units in Yuen Long today, and distributed Octopus cards with a face value of $2,000. The Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks today met again with 28 retail banks, including digital banks, and introduced additional measures to continue assisting those affected by the blaze. The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, set up to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and to offer them long-term support, amounted to $2.8 billion as of noon today. Of that sum, $2.5 billion comes from donations, whilst $300 million is the Government’s start-up capital. Accommodation supportAs of this morning, 1,241 residents had been accommodated, via the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 2,235 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or units from the Housing Society. Meanwhile, the Transport Department has been steering public transport operators to strengthen the provision of franchised bus, green minibus and residents’ bus services by deploying additional vehicles and manpower to support residents staying in transitional housing in various districts. Relief suppliesAn online platform for the donation of supplies, established by the Government and the information technology sector, has received over 1,300 registrations for donations including food and beverage items, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. Handling of reported missing personsPolice have completed searches inside all seven buildings which caught fire. Following searches conducted by around 300 officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit, areas around the buildings and near the collapsed scaffolding were confirmed to be safe. No human remains were found, and the number of the deceased remains at 159. The officers also handed over suspected human remains found earlier to forensic pathologists for further testing. InvestigationsThe Inter-departmental Fire Investigation Task Force, led by the Fire Services Department and also involving the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, inspected the gas pipeline on the exterior wall where the fire started and found no damage to the pipeline. Regulation, inspection workThe Housing Bureau began sending emergency maintenance contractors to help Police clear away miscellaneous items in the surroundings of the buildings. Support works have also commenced in a small number of units which may be subject to further damage. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit visited Fung Wah Estate in Chai Wan (under the Tenants Purchase Scheme), as well as four Home Ownership Scheme courts, namely Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong, to oversee the progress of work to remove protective nets by registered contractors. The Housing Department also completed the removal of protective nets in 15 public housing estates today. As of 4pm, the Labour Department had inspected 239 construction sites, issued 130 written warnings and 61 improvement notices, and taken out 17 prosecutions.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned certain media, including Agence France-Presse, for their fact-twisting reports concerning the case under the National Security Law involving Lai Chee-ying, as well as the treatment provided by the Government during his detention. In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the reports seek to smear Hong Kong by misleading the public into believing that the custodial and medical arrangements for Lai Chee-ying have been poor, adding that their despicable intent to vilify the city’s rule of law is blatant and violates the professional conduct of journalists. "The Correctional Services Department (CSD) and relevant units handle the custodial arrangements for Lai Chee-ying in the same way as other persons-in-custody (PICs). His legal representatives have also made it clear that he has all along been receiving appropriate treatment and care in prison. “The false reports by relevant media have no factual basis at all. In fact, the CSD attaches great importance to the safety and health of PICs. Regardless of the identities, ages and nationalities of PICs, the CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, which includes good ventilation, appropriate and timely medical support, as well as religious services. “The CSD also provides PICs with healthy food in accordance with legal requirements, which are in line with existing international health guidelines. The CSD has also put in place an established mechanism, including regular independent visitors, namely Justices of the Peace, who inspect the prisons to ensure the rights of PICs are protected.” The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that as the legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are still ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment on the case in an attempt to interfere with the court to exercise judicial power independently, which might otherwise constitute perverting the course of justice. Nevertheless, relevant media continue to distort the facts, blatantly smear Lai Chee-ying's detention conditions and medical arrangements, and attempt to exert pressure on the courts, the statement said, noting that such acts must be sternly denounced to set the record straight.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said today that it strongly condemns foreign forces for making unfounded and slanderous remarks regarding the relief and investigation work following last week’s fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, and for maliciously attacking the city’s rescue operations. The Government said such foreign forces include anti-China media organisations, and and other destabilising anti-China forces. In a statement, it said those who try to use the disaster to stir up chaos in society are maliciously blotting out the efforts of the Government and the community and should be condemned. Stating that Hong Kong society is suffering from a collective trauma in the fire’s aftermath, it added that the city needs a society that is united, with people focused on follow-up support and recovery. The statement said that, regrettably, foreign forces and anti-China forces with ulterior motives have disseminated fake news and false messages online and through seditious pamphlets, intending to maliciously smear rescue efforts, instigate social division and conflict, and undermine society’s unity. It said these acts have caused “secondary damage” to the residents. The statement emphasised that, if left unchecked, such acts will not only impact negatively on relief work but will undermine the stability of society and endanger national security. Hong Kong must not let its guard down against such risks, the Government added. Furthermore, it said it will not tolerate malicious smears targeting the Government and rescue personnel, in particular criminal acts that are intended to incite hatred against the Government, confounding right and wrong. It iterated that what is most needed now is for all sectors of Hong Kong to stand united as one in supporting the affected residents to move beyond their grief as soon as possible. The Government said it will not condone any person who attempts to sabotage or interfere with the rescue work, adding that wherever these people are, the Government will make every effort in pursuing them in accordance with the law and make sure that justice is done. The statement reminded members of the public to stay alert to those who seek to exploit the disaster and disseminate unfounded information in an attempt to antagonise society, and to incite public hatred against the Government and the country, thereby endangering national security. It also appealed to members of the public not to defy the law and to refrain from having connections with destabilising anti-China forces. The Government stressed that it will exhaust all means to pursue and combat such forces, and will ensure any violations of the law will be pursued regardless of distance through decisive enforcement actions.
(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) In view of the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Chief Executive John Lee said today he will establish an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review to reform the building work system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future. Ahead of the Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee said he has identified a large number of areas where issues should be addressed as the fire reflected significant lapses in building works, from construction to supervision, with multiple points of failure. “We must implement systemic reform. And the issues identified include: First, the safety requirements, standards, supervision and routine maintenance system for construction works. “Second, systemic issues in the construction process, such as inappropriate connected interests, conflicts of roles and corrupt collusion. “Third, establishing an up-to-date list of materials for which safety standards are properly set, ensuring their review and updating, and the required verification and testing systems. “Fourth, examining the roles and responsibilities of regulatory personnel across all stages of the project chain, including government departments and authorised professionals. “Fifth, issues of corruption, bid-rigging and irregular tendering in building maintenance projects. “Sixth, the supervision and responsibility of the installation and effective operation of fire safety systems in buildings. “Seventh, accountability related to the above areas in the fire in Tai Po. “And eighth, the adequacy or otherwise of legislation and penalties.” The Chief Executive called for a thorough investigation and serious reform, saying that the Government will overcome the obstacles of vested interests, and pursue accountability regardless of who is involved. He stressed that the Government must uncover the truth, ensure that justice is served, let the deceased rest in peace, and provide comfort to the living. Mr Lee announced the setting up of an independent committee to review the fire, while criminal and fire investigations continue separately. He will invite a judge to lead the committee's work, ensuring its independence and credibility. “I shall liaise with him to define its detailed terms of reference, and at the same time I will explore ways to assist in supporting the committee's operational efficiency, such that the Government can provide more detailed information or carry out some work on its direction so as to enable it to complete its task efficiently and submit a report early to the Chief Executive with recommendations to assist the Government to make the reform.”
The Secretary for Security today prohibited the operation or continued operation of the “Hong Kong Parliament” and the “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with immediate effect. Exercising the power conferred by the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), he published an order in the Government Gazette. The Secretary for Security recently issued written notices to the two organisations, to allow them to submit representations pursuant to section 60(4) of the SNSO. The Security Bureau said that representations from the “Hong Kong Parliament” were received but no representations from the “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” were received before the deadline. The bureau said the Secretary for Security carefully considered all relevant information, including the representations submitted by the “Hong Kong Parliament” and reasonably believes that the prohibitions are necessary for safeguarding national security. As the two organisations immediately become “prohibited organisations”, the bureau stated that any person who engages in acts specified in sections 62 to 65 of the SNSO commit an offence. Acts specified as offences include acting as an officer-bearer or a member of a prohibited organisation, or professing or claiming to be an office-bearer of the prohibited organisation; conducting any activity on behalf of a prohibited organisation; participating in any meeting of a prohibited organisation; inciting any other person to become a member of a prohibited organisation; and giving aid of any kind to, or procuring any subscription or aid for, a prohibited organisation. Those who commit such offences are liable to a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for 14 years. The bureau called on members of the public not to defy the law, participate in any activities of prohibited organisations, or have any connection with them.
Police today announced that 10 hotlines have been set up in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Members of the public with relevant video footage or photos are urged to contact officers through the hotlines to assist in the police investigation. The hotline numbers are: 5337 6671, 5337 6672, 5337 6673, 5337 6674, 5337 6675, 5337 6676, 5337 6677, 5337 6679, 5337 6680 and 5337 6681. The 10 hotlines operate from 8am to 8pm daily with immediate effect and are solely for the collection of video footage or photos related to the fire. Call 1878 999 for enquiries about fire casualties.
The Fire Services Department (FSD) today appealed to the public to stay alert to a video of unknown origin on the Internet, carrying a fraudulent fundraising message in the name of a family member of the deceased fireman, Ho Wai-ho. In an attempt to deceive, the fraudulent message included a bank account under a name highly similar to that of the family member. The department has immediately referred the case to Police for follow-up. Should people wish to express their support for the family of the deceased fireman by making donations, they may do so via either of the following:1. Deposit into the bank account of Ho Shing, Ho Wai-ho's fatherAccount Name: HO SHINGAccount Number: 039-744-1-039365-9 (Chiyu Banking Corporation Ltd) 2. Issue a cheque and send it to the FSD via mail or in person for forwarding, payable to “何勝” or “HO SHING”Address: Welfare & Building Management, Fire Services Department, 11/F, South Wing, Fire Services Headquarters Building, 1 Hong Chong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon. (Attn: Mr Wong Hon-kiu)
Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 commenced today, attracting representatives from international organisations and the legal industry, renowned experts, government officials and academics from around the world to participate in person and online. Themed "Linking Laws, Bridging Worlds", the event provides an opportunity for participants to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as the integration of lawtech and Artificial Intelligence, the development of international law and alternative dispute resolution, as well as collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Before the start of the Legal Week activities, all participants observed a moment of silence to mourn the victims of the Tai Po fire. The 6th UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit - Judicial Conference was held as the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week, with around 50 judges from over 25 jurisdictions attending in person, and judges from other jurisdictions participating online. In his welcome remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said under the principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has a strong legal foundation and international connectivity and is dedicated to serving as a "super connector" and a capacity building hub to facilitate the legal and economic collaboration across the region and beyond. This year's summit coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Department of Justice has specially released the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy Anniversary Booklet 2024-2025, reviewing the achievements and milestones of the academy in promoting international legal exchange and capacity building over the past year. Click here for details of the event.
Chief Executive John Lee this afternoon visited CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River, a transitional housing project in Yuen Long, to offer comfort to victims affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. As of this morning, 945 residents had been accommodated in youth hostels/camps or hotel rooms, under the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau. Another 1,470 residents have moved into transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society. CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River has accommodated over 100 fire victims from approximately 60 families. During the visit, Mr Lee inquired about the residents’ living conditions. Some victims stated that the $10,000 emergency cash subsidy quickly distributed by the Government after the fire, along with essential supplies such as bedding and household appliances provided via welfare organisations, have given them immediate relief and substantial support. Mr Lee also inspected the site’s temporary supplies centre, converted from an activity room, where necessities donated by various sectors are distributed. The Chief Executive said he was deeply moved by the selfless commitment of welfare personnel and residents of the CONCORDIA Sheung Yue River neighbourhood, stating that embody Hong Kong society’s spirit of mutual help and solidarity. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki visited residents affected by the fire at Pok Oi Kong Ha Wai Village, a transitional housing project at Kam Sheung Road in Yuen Long, to express sympathy and understand their living conditions and actual needs. As of this morning, Social Welfare Department social workers have been in contact with about 1,450 affected households, and more than 3,300 affected residents have been registered for “one social worker per household” support services. A supplies donation online platform established by the Government and the information technology sector to facilitate registration of supplies donated by organisations and members of the public began operating yesterday. The Government has so far received over 470 registrations, with donations including food and beverage items, clothing, daily necessities, beddings and electrical appliances. As of 4pm, the Immigration Department had processed about 1,090 personal document replacement applications from affected residents. Additionally, a total of 16 applications had been processed for extensions of stay and provision of services following loss of visa records. As for transport services, five fleets will arrange for taxis to provide free special services to residents in need, mainly to and from various locations in Tai Po district. Details are provided on the dedicated Government website “Support Services for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po”. Police have completed searches at five buildings and deployed again more than 600 officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit to conduct searches at structurally-safe locations in the remaining two affected buildings. As of 4pm, Police had handled eight sets of human remains from the buildings, including five newly discovered sets and three that were previously found by firefighters but not removed. The number of the deceased has been updated to 151. Forensic pathologists from the Department of Health continued to assist personnel from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit on site in collecting evidence, making every effort to help identify the deceased. As of 4pm, the next of kin of 90 victims had completed necessary procedures at the Fu Shan Public Mortuary. Regarding investigations, in addition to the three personnel from a construction company arrested earlier, Police have arrested another 10 individuals from various construction and engineering consultancy companies on suspicion of manslaughter. The Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit (ICU), together with more than 100 professionals from the Housing Department (HD), conducted inspections on Saturday and Sunday of more than 1,700 units in seven buildings, namely Wang Yan House, Wang Tao House, Wang Kin House, Wang Tai House, Wang Shing House, Wang Chi House and Wang Sun House, as well as a few floors of Wang Cheong House. They HD professionals have also now completed inspection of the remaining units in Wang Cheong House. According to their assessment, the structure of some units may be subject to serious damage, but there is no imminent danger in terms of the overall structural safety in any of the buildings inspected. The Housing Bureau’s emergency maintenance contractors have completed relevant support works so that Police officers and the Fire Services Department can immediately enter the units to conduct evidence collection and other operations. The ICU has conducted on-site sampling at Wang Fuk Court and four other Home Ownership Scheme courts that have been issued notices under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme, including Sui Wo Court in Sha Tin, Ching Lai Court in Sham Shui Po, Yee Kok Court in Sham Shui Po, and On Kay Court in Kwun Tong. Samples collected from different positions of buildings’ protective nets had been sent to the Government Laboratory for testing. In addition, the Buildings Department has inspected 359 buildings undergoing external wall maintenance. Among these, about 300 buildings were confirmed to have had scaffold nets installed, and samples have been taken. Test results are expected to be ready in batches within this week. The Labour Department (LD) launched a city-wide special enforcement operation on November 28, targeting the fire protection facilities and fire emergency preparedness of building maintenance work sites with large-scale scaffolding. As of 4pm, the LD had inspected 61 construction sites, issued a total of 53 written warnings and 13 improvement notices, and taken out two prosecutions.