The Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge, jointly organised by the Department of Justice, the Security Bureau, the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation, held its finals this morning (February 26). An awards presentation ceremony was held at the Former French Mission Building in the afternoon to commend the outstanding performance of the winning students in the Challenge.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said in a video speech that he believed the students have enriched their understanding of the Constitution, the Basic Law, the National Security Law (NSL) and the holistic view of national security, as well as increased their awareness of the responsibility in safeguarding national security through participating in the Challenge. He pointed out that the Basic Law Article 23 legislation is an integral part of safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), enabling the HKSAR to have a more comprehensive and effective legal system to safeguard national security. He also raised that the Basic Law Article 23 legislation will be a new area of national security education and that the HKSAR Government will proactively take forward the relevant work. He encouraged school principals, teachers and parents to lead by example and together deepen students’ understanding of the Basic Law Article 23 legislation.
Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, pointed out that national security is a fundamental safeguard for upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests. The promulgation and implementation of the NSL has brought a safer and more stable environment to Hong Kong, as well as a better learning and upbringing environment for students. He hoped that students would keep their interest and passion on national security, engage in continuous learning and active participation, and contribute to building a safe and stable environment.
The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Director General of the Police Liaison Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Chen Feng; the Director-General of the Bureau of Liaison of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Deng Jianwei; and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation, Mrs Tung Ng Ling-ling, officiated and presented awards at the ceremony. The Challenge aims at enhancing students' understanding of the Constitution, the Basic Law and the NSL. It was conducted in the form of a quiz, and was divided into four sections, i.e. the primary school and secondary school sections, both of which included team and individual competitions. Over 102 000 students from 585 primary and secondary schools participated in the Challenge. The finals of the four sections were held this morning. The list of awardees is at Annex.
Highlights of the Challenge have been broadcast at 10.30pm every Sunday in the programme "Our Home Our Country" on HOY Infotainment. The programme also comprises the "National Security Knowledge" segment to deepen national security knowledge among members of the public. Moreover, to mark the National Security Education Day on April 15, a 30-minute special episode featuring the highlights of the finals and the awards presentation ceremony will be broadcast at 9.30pm on that day on HOY Infotainment.
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