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2024
Four young inmates have met the general entrance requirements for local universities in this year’s Diploma of Secondary Education, the Correctional Services Department announced today. They are among 14 young inmates from Sha Tsui Correctional Institution (STCI), Pik Uk Correctional Institution and Lai King Correctional Institution who received their exam results today. They took a total of 86 examination papers and obtained level 2 or above in 80 of them, or 93% of the papers taken. One candidate at STCI scored 22 marks in five subjects, including level 5 in Economics and Physics, and “Attained” in Citizenship & Social Development. The exams sat included the four core subjects of Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Citizenship & Social Development, as well as two electives, namely Economics and Tourism & Hospitality Studies. STCI Superintendent Chan Man-yat encouraged inmates to maintain a proactive and positive attitude to meet the challenges ahead. The department provides education to help inmates below the age of 21 gain accredited qualifications and develop positive values with the hope that they can further their studies, find jobs and reintegrate into society after release.
The visa-free entry period for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders visiting Thailand has been extended from up to 30 days to 60 days, the Immigration Department announced today. Noting that Thailand is situated along the Belt & Road and a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the department said the two places have a close relationship in people-to-people and cultural exchanges. It added that the extension of the visa-free entry period will bring greater travel convenience to Hong Kong SAR passport holders and strengthen the tourism, cultural and economic ties between the two places. As of today, 172 countries and territories grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Hong Kong SAR passport holders.
Police have alerted the public to a fraudulent website purporting to be an online booking system developed by the force. The case is being handled by the force's Cyber Security & Technology Crime Bureau. It said the fraudulent page would be taken down. The domain name of the fake website is https:// 4006804.cc. It purports to offer services including a "Criminal Wanted Tracing System", a "Submit Funds Inventory", and "Secure Account Acquisition", in order to obtain personal data such as names, personal identification document numbers and photos. The force emphasised that it has no connection with the website and does not offer such services. The genuine web address of the Police Force is https://www.police.gov.hk. Citizens are advised to stay alert and refrain from visiting suspicious websites or disclosing personal information. Anyone who has submitted personal information on the fraudulent website should report the matter to the force.
A two-day foundation course, part of the second phase of the Rule of Law Education Train-the-Leaders Programme, concluded today, with Secretary for Justice Paul Lam conducting in-depth exchanges with trainees on topics relating to the rule of law. Organised by the Department of Justice, the course was titled Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Stars. It was attended by more than 100 secondary school teachers mainly responsible for teaching courses related to the rule of law, the Constitution, national security education, and Citizenship & Social Development. Representatives from the department and sectors including the legal profession and the media served as trainers, guiding the discussions and interactive sessions. At a question-and-answer session this afternoon, Mr Lam discussed various topics with teachers, including how to enhance students' interest in Hong Kong's legal system and in rule of law in the country more widely. Mr Lam stressed that in order to uphold the rule of law, everyone in the community should be a guardian of it and an advocate for it. In this regard, teachers should go the extra mile to inspire interest among the next generation, he added. Encouraging teachers to learn more about the rule of law, he explained that they can have faith that they are not alone in advancing rule of law education as the Government is doing its best to provide assistance. A number of trainees said the course content was substantial, easy to understand and practical, adding that it will serve to strengthen their ability to communicate correct messages on the rule of law to students, helping them to develop a correct global perspective and personal values. A graduation ceremony for the second phase of the programme was also held in the afternoon.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant central ministries today held the seventh Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in & Contribution to the Belt & Road Initiative in Beijing. NDRC Vice Chairman Zhao Chenxin attended the conference with Mainland officials led by him, while Secretary for Justice Paul Lam led Hong Kong SAR Government officials to take part in the forum in his capacity as the chairman of the Working Group on Belt & Road Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development. Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, who is the conference’s Hong Kong-side convenor, also attended. Mr Lam said that as the Belt & Road Initiative (B&RI) has entered its next golden decade, President Xi Jinping announced at the third Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in October last year the eight major steps the country will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road (B&R) development, which Hong Kong's advantages are closely aligned with. Guided by the eight major steps, in particular co-operation in new fields such as green development and innovation, the Steering Group on Integration into National Development chaired by the Chief Executive and its Working Group on Belt & Road Development are steering various policy bureaus and departments to proactively capitalise on Hong Kong's role as the functional platform for the B&RI, as well as to give full play to its role as a super connector and a super value-adder. Mr Lam also pointed out that there are seven deliverables directly related to Hong Kong among the lists of deliverables announced after the forum, adding that the Hong Kong SAR Government is actively implementing the deliverables and has made good progress. Such deliverables include increasing the quota of the Belt & Road Scholarship to 150 per year, launching the inaugural Asia+ Festival, commencing the joint production of television variety programmes with B&RI regions, and organising the first event outside the Mainland for the Green Investment & Finance Partnership. Apart from noting that the Hong Kong SAR Government is taking forward the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the Meteorological Training Centre for Belt & Road Countries, Mr Lam stated that it is also planning to hold the ninth Belt & Road Summit in September. Furthermore, the Hong Kong SAR Government is actively carrying out the preparatory work for the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation. At the meeting, Mr Yau highlighted the Hong Kong SAR Government's achievements in various aspects in promoting the B&RI over the past year. The achievements include proactively expanding the city's economic and trade networks in B&R markets such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Middle East and North Africa; forging free trade and investment agreements with more trade partners in exploring B&R opportunities; and continuous enhancements to the relevant B&RI platforms in Hong Kong. Today’s meeting focused on the 12 work proposals aimed at further promoting the B&RI that the Hong Kong SAR Government put forward for consideration by central ministries, covering B&R economic, trade and investment co-operation, legal and dispute resolution services, finance and risk management, and innovation and technology (I&T). Meanwhile, Mainland ministries introduced their work in supporting Hong Kong's participation in and contribution to the B&RI, and provided feedback on the Hong Kong SAR Government's work proposals. The meeting also discussed the Hong Kong SAR Government’s work priorities under the guidance of the eight major steps in the year ahead. Among such priorities, the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to actively seek for Hong Kong's early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, organise a number of outbound missions to B&R markets, strengthen Hong Kong's position as Asia's green finance hub and continue to participate in the development of an international I&T centre in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Marking the fourth anniversary of the implementation of the National Security Law (NSL), the Security Bureau today launched the updated NSL online virtual exhibition with enriched content and new additions. There are nine zones in the updated virtual exhibition. In addition to the content related to the NSL, a new virtual exhibition hall has been added to introduce the features and main offences of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance which took effect upon gazettal in March. Supplemented with simple and easy-to-understand questions and answers, information in the hall will enable members of the public to understand more fully the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s legal system and enforcement mechanisms in safeguarding national security. The updated exhibition continues to use the Hong Kong Palace Museum embellished with Chinese cultural elements as its virtual background, with the Security Bureau's mascot Security Bear joining to accompany visitors during the tour to enhance their enjoyment. In addition, the virtual exhibition has launched for the first time, serialised national security-themed comics and animations, illustrating the importance of safeguarding national security and law-abiding awareness in an easy-to-understand manner. Visitors, especially youth, can also gain more relevant knowledge through mini-games featuring the Security Bear. The exhibition also covers information on the importance of the NSL, the legal system and enforcement mechanisms, major provisions and effectiveness, the work of various disciplined forces in safeguarding national security, reference materials and the winning entries of the Let's Join Hands in Safeguarding National Security Programme. Launched in July 2021, the NSL online virtual exhibition has registered more than 580,000 visits thus far.
About 600 experts and delegates in emergency response, paramedic services, medical professions and fire engineering from various countries and regions are participating in the Fire Asia 2024 international conference in Hong Kong. The participants comprise delegations of the Belt & Road Initiative and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from 19 countries, including the General Administration of Civil Protection Director General from Egypt’s Ministry of Interior, as well as heads or senior officials of emergency or fire departments in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Themed "Collaboration & Technology - Better Prepare the Community for Emergency", the conference is being held from today to July 12. It covers various topics, including new approaches to disaster management and fire safety measures, collaboration in the Greater Bay Area and emergency preparedness in the Belt & Road region, as well as the latest research in fire engineering and emergency medical services. The three-day conference is also one of the mega events being held in the city this month. Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung officiated at the opening ceremony this morning. While addressing those gathered at the ceremony, Mr Chan said that emergency preparedness is essential to protecting an economy and its people from the impact of wide-ranging disasters, crises and other emergencies. “An effective emergency management system helps mitigate disruptions to essential services, economic stability and social order. In today's interconnected world, the threats of emergencies and disasters could be cross-border by nature. Regional and international teamwork play an important role in reducing risks and enhancing resilience. “To that end, just last month, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, together with the governments of Guangdong Province and Macao SAR, signed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Emergency Management Co-operation & Greater Bay Area Emergency Response Operation Co-operation Framework Agreement,” Mr Chan added. Under this framework, a government-led co-operation mechanism for emergency response is being set up to enhance the respective governments’ ability to cope with accidents, natural disasters and other crises that affect Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, he explained. Mr Chan also pointed out that a task force will be established later this year, which will review the co-operation experience to develop a long-term emergency-management plan for the bay area as a whole. Moreover, the Chief Secretary made it clear that the Belt & Road and ASEAN also present ample opportunities for regional and global collaboration. “The Belt & Road's extensive infrastructure networks - from roads and railways to ports and much more - can enable the rapid deployment of emergency response personnel and resources across borders during crises,” he said. The Fire Services Department noted that the conference exemplified the international co-operation and exchanges that could make a difference, regionally and globally, and serves to tell the China story and the Hong Kong story well.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will depart for Beijing tomorrow to attend the seventh Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in & Contribution to the Belt & Road Initiative on Friday morning. Mr Lam, in his capacity as chair of the sub-group on Belt & Road development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, will lead Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government officials including Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan and Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Lillian Cheong, to attend the conference. While in Beijing, Mr Lam will also visit the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and have meetings with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow up on the implementation of the measures of allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law and to choose Hong Kong as the seat of arbitration, and to discuss the preparatory work for the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation. He will also call on the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office to give a briefing on the progress of the Department of Justice's major policy measures including the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, promoting the development of Hong Kong as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, and the promotion of rule of law education. The justice chief will return to Hong Kong on July 12. During Mr Lam and Mr Yau's absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan and Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Bernard Chan will be the respective acting secretaries.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) today officially launched the second phase of the Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Stars Train-the-Leaders (TTL) Programme, with a two-day foundation course on knowledge of the rule of law for about 120 trainees who are local secondary school teachers. The course provided training in a diversified, interactive, interesting, down to earth and easy-to-understand manner, to enhance the trainees’ capability for and effectiveness of promoting consistent and correct messages relating to the rule of law to students, young people and other education sector stakeholders. Apart from delivering opening remarks for the event this morning, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam also gave a lecture on the “Rule of law and our legal system”. He elaborated on the essence of the rule of law concept, presented an overview of Hong Kong’s legal and judicial systems, and explained to the trainees the relationship between the rule of law and the Constitution, the Basic Law, the Hong Kong National Security Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and “one country, two systems”. Mr Lam said he hoped the programme would enhance teachers’ understanding of the rule of law and the common law system in Hong Kong, as well as their knowledge in the Constitution and different laws such as the above-mentioned ones, in order to build their confidence in teaching the relevant content in the future. The justice chief noted that rule of law education and education on cultivating a sense of national identity have to be developed in parallel to complement each other, so as to nurture students’ proper concepts of the rule of law, and instil their sense to respect and abide by the rule of law on the basis of the country’s Constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law. Teachers also have to lead by example to effectively teach rule-of-law related values to their students. He thanked the Education Bureau for its assistance in recruiting about 120 secondary school teachers for the programme. Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin also delivered opening remarks, while Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak was in attendance. The second-phase TTL Programme is one of the DoJ’s policy initiatives of The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address, with the first event being the foundation course for local secondary school teachers of subjects related to the rule of law, the Constitution, national security education, and citizenship and social development. The programme's second-day event and graduation ceremony will be held on July 13. Certificates will be presented to trainees who have completed the two-day foundation course. The second-phase TTL Programme also comprises an advance course focusing on the practice of the rule of law. Trainees who have completed the first phase of the programme will be arranged to visit law enforcement agencies and participate in mock court activities to gain first-hand experience of the practice of the rule of law, and strengthen their understanding of the criminal justice process. The first visit activity will be held at the end of July, while other activities will be rolled out by stages in the second half of this year.
Three foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong have welcomed the announcement that non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents are eligible to apply for a new Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong & Macao Residents (non-Chinese Citizens). The national Exit & Entry Administration will start issuing the card-type document on July 10 to facilitate non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents’ entry to the Mainland for the purposes of business, travel, and visiting relatives. The permits are expected to enhance holders’ convenience and ease of clearance at Mainland control points. The British, Canadian and German chambers of commerce in Hong Kong all responded positively to the new measure. British Chamber of Commerce Chair Jeremy Sheldon said it represented a step forward. Growing trade and investment relies on trusting relationships making it easier for people to travel, meet and understand each other to build those relationships is essential, he added. Canadian Chamber of Commerce Chairman Alex Tam said the measure will facilitate greater cross-boundary mobility and economic integration between Hong Kong and the Mainland, creating new business opportunities for its members and long-time Hong Kong Canadian residents. “We look forward to seeing this measure enhance the flow of talents, goods, and services between Hong Kong and the Mainland in the years ahead,” he added. Meanwhile, German Chamber of Commerce President Johannes Hack likened the measure to the opening of the West Kowloon high-speed rail link, saying it will be a great way to make existing traffic move more easily. “Looking back on the development of Mainland China visa and travel policies since the end of COVID-19, we are very heartened to see a continuous policy of simplifying and streamlining the process by the Mainland Chinese authorities, in conjunction with their Hong Kong counterparts,” he added. Under the new arrangement, all non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents will be able to make applications to China Travel Service (HK), as entrusted by the Exit & Entry Administration, to obtain the relevant permit. The permit allows holders to travel to the Mainland multiple times within a five-year validity period without the need to apply for a separate entry visa for each visit. Single visits must not exceed 90 days.