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2025
Police’s National Security Department today announced that 19 people suspected of committing offences under the National Security Law have been put on the wanted list, with a reward in respect of each wanted person being offered. These individuals are suspected of being involved in organising, establishing or participating in, outside Hong Kong, a subversive organisation named the “Hong Kong Parliament”, Police explained. Among them, nine people, including male Yuan Gong-yi, male Victor Ho, male Fok Ka-chi, male Choi Ming-da, female Chan Lai-chun, male Feng Chongyi, female Gong Sasha, male Ng Man-yan and male Tsang Wai-fan allegedly organised, outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a “Hong Kong Parliament” election to establish a so-called “Hong Kong Parliament”. The other 10 people, including female Chin Po-fun, male Paul Ha, male Hau Chung-yu, male Ho Wing-yau, male Keung Ka-wai, male Tony Lam, female Agnes Ng, male Wong Chun-wah, male Wong Sau-wo and female Zhang Xinyan, are alleged to have participated as candidates in the “Hong Kong Parliament” election and, upon being elected, taken an oath to serve as so-called “members of the Hong Kong Parliament”. Police said the “Hong Kong Parliament” aims to subvert state power - its objectives include promoting “self-determination”, promulgating a so-called “Hong Kong Constitution”, and overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People’s Republic of China or overthrowing the body of the central power of the People’s Republic of China or the body of power of the Hong Kong SAR with unlawful means. The 19 individuals are thereby suspected of committing the offence of subversion, contrary to Article 22 of the National Security Law, Police pointed out. The force applied to the court for arrest warrants in accordance with the law and put the 19 people on the wanted list. The court then issued arrest warrants against the suspects. Police remarked that Yuan Gong-yi, Victor Ho, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da, also suspected of committing offences endangering national security, have already been put on the wanted list with a reward of $1 million each. Exercising powers conferred by section 89 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the Secretary for Security, in June and December 2024, specified in the Gazette Yuan Gong-yi, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da as absconders, as well as the measures to be applied against them. Police stressed that they will continue to make every effort to bring all the wanted individuals to justice. For the remaining 15 people, a reward of $200,000 in respect of each of them is being offered by Police to any member of the public who can provide information on the wanted people or related cases. The investigation is ongoing, and more people will be put on the wanted list with rewards offered if necessary, Police added. The force further noted that if an offender voluntarily discontinues the commission of the offence; voluntarily surrenders himself or herself and gives a truthful account of the offence; or reports on the offence committed by other persons or provides material information which assists in solving other criminal cases, a lighter penalty may be imposed, or the penalty may be reduced. The above wanted individuals are urged to surrender to Hong Kong Police, so as to rectify their mistakes. It is illegal for anyone, no matter in what ways, including through the Internet, to aid, abet or financially assist other people for participating in any illegal activities related to the “Hong Kong Parliament” or to commit other offences endangering national security, Police added.
The Inland Revenue Department today issued an alert regarding fraudulent emails purportedly issued by the department, which invite recipients to claim tax refunds. Each fraudulent email provides a hyperlink to a website that seeks to obtain the recipient’s personal particulars and credit card information. Apart from stressing that it has no connection with such emails, the department said it reported the case to Police for further investigation. It also reminded the public not to open suspicious emails or visit the attached hyperlinks.
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun today announced the official launch of a guide for mandated reporters' reference on child protection. The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, which mandates 25 categories of specified professionals from the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors to report serious child abuse cases, will commence on January 20, 2026, to create a wide and effective protection web for children. As such, the Government formed three professional consultative panels in each of these sectors in early 2024 for formulating the guide. Addressing the guide's launch ceremony, Mr Sun said that the three professional consultative panels comprise cross-disciplinary professionals. He noted that their professional exchanges on different cases not only have assisted in establishing a list of key factors that mandated reporters should take into consideration before deciding whether a report is necessary under different scenarios, but also laid an important foundation for the decision trees in the guide, which further helps mandated reporters make reporting decisions and serves as a practical reference for mandated reporters. The welfare chief said that an electronic system of the decision trees has also been specially developed by the Social Welfare Department to assist mandated reporters in making an analysis of the case scenarios in a swift and convenient manner only by answering simple questions. He added that the electronic system will also direct those cases that need mandatory reporting to the reporting page to ensure mandated reporters can make a report as soon as practicable. The features of the guide were introduced at the ceremony. A demonstration of the workflow of the electronic version of the decision trees to be rolled out was also featured. While formulating the guide, the professional consultative panels discussed 650 case scenarios and questions collected from their sectors in 33 focus group meetings. The valuable advice gathered from the 540 frontline professionals participating in these focus group meetings became a helpful and important reference for the professional consultative panels to finalise the details of the guide. The Government will roll out Module 2 of the online learning course for specified professionals in phases starting from next week, covering basic knowledge on the legal and reporting matters related to the ordinance, including the key content of the ordinance, a brief introduction to the guide, analysis of common scenarios, reporting procedures and post-reporting follow-up.
The Government is carefully studying the judgment handed down by the Court of First Instance on the judicial review concerning the provisions on segregation of the sexes under the Public Conveniences (Conduct & Behaviour) Regulation, and is seeking legal advice and considering lodging an appeal. The Environment & Ecology Bureau made the statement today, noting that members of the public must continue to use public toilets according to the principle of segregation of the sexes to avoid contravening the relevant laws. In the judicial review, the Court of First Instance ordered that provisions related to segregation of the sexes under the aforesaid regulation shall be struck down, and suspended the execution of the order for 12 months to allow the Government time to address the matter of transgender individuals with gender identity disorder using Food & Environmental Hygiene Department’s public toilets. The bureau said the establishment of sex-segregated public toilets under the regulation aims to protect the privacy and safety of the public when using public toilets and to reflect social norms and expectations, an arrangement that has been widely accepted by society. Currently, public toilets under the department’s purview are categorised into sex-segregated public toilets and gender neutral public toilets. Sex-segregated toilets follow the segregation of the sexes under the regulation. Concurrently, gender-neutral toilets are available near about half of the number of sex-segregated toilets. They include "Accessible Toilets" and "Unisex Toilets", available for use by all members of the public including transgender individuals.
The Working Family & Student Financial Assistance Agency today said Police arrested a total of six people for allegedly defrauding or intending to defraud the agency, involving an amount of about $30,000. The agency had recently conducted a joint operation with Police to combat fraudulent acts by those seeking to obtain the Working Family Allowance (WFA) illegally. The agency's Working Family Allowance Office, when processing WFA applications in April, detected suspicious documentary proof relating to employment and income submitted by some applicants. The agency swiftly reported the incident and referred the cases suspected of using false documents to Police for investigation. After a thorough investigation, Police recently carried out an operation and arrested a total of six people so far for allegedly defrauding or intending to defraud the agency. The agency will continue to render full assistance to Police in the investigation and recover the overpaid allowances from the relevant persons as appropriate in a timely manner. The agency pointed out that it scrutinises every WFA application in a stringent manner and has established a mechanism to identify and guard against fraud cases. It added that it will continue to examine WFA applications in a stringent manner to ensure the proper use of public funds. People are urged not to defraud the agency. The WFA Scheme aims to support low-income working households. Applicants are required to submit documentary proof of working hours, income and assets to the agency for assessing their eligibility. Anyone obtaining the WFA by deception will be disqualified for the WFA and are liable to a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment.