Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 9) seized about 300 000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $790,000 and a duty potential of about $550,000 at Shenzhen Bay Control Point.

     Customs officers intercepted an incoming truck declared to carry assorted goods at Shenzhen Bay Control Point yesterday. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes in 18 carton boxes mix-loaded with other goods on the truck.

     The 45-year-old male driver was arrested and the truck was detained. Investigation is ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182, or dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting today (November 10).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (November 10). They are, on Hong Kong Island, The Royal British Legion (Hong Kong & China Branch); in Kowloon, Yan Kwong Social Service Limited; and in the New Territories, the Society for the Welfare of the Autistic Persons, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.

     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.

     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on November 10 is as follows:
 

     For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline on 2343 2255, or the Charitable Fund-raising Control Team on 2832 4311 during office hours. Information on the flag days of the month is available at the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_whatsnew/). Permits for flag days containing contact information on the flag-selling organisations and information on the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_recentlyap/). For enquiries about the detailed flag-selling arrangements, please contact the individual flag-selling organisations.

     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities covered by Public Subscription Permit issued by the SWD have also been uploaded to the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/fundraising).
 
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.

     The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the review report on China today (November 9, Geneva time).

     The UPR Working Group conducted a review hearing on November 6 to examine the third report submitted by China (covering the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions). A team of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government officials, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, attended the review hearing as part of China delegation.

     "The UNHRC Working Group has taken note of the commitment of and efforts made by the HKSAR Government in the promotion and protection of human rights in Hong Kong. Mr Cheung, in his capacity as Deputy Head of the China delegation, spoke at the meeting to clear the air on Hong Kong's human rights situation. He reiterated that Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy under "one country, two systems" and that fundamental rights and freedoms were all fully guaranteed by the Basic Law," a Government's spokesman said. The transcript of Mr Cheungs remarks and related press release were issued on November 6 (Geneva time).

     The review report is expected to be presented to the plenary session of the UNHRC for adoption in March next year.

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 9) for the debate on the Motion of Thanks (Session 5: Reinforcing Strengths, Enhancing Governance) in respect of the Chief Executive's 2018 Policy Address:
 
     Mr President, the Honourable Dennis Kwok raised the nomination matter of Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. I would like to reiterate that, in accordance with the LegCo Ordinance and Electoral Affairs Commission regulations, the Returning Officer is required to decide whether a candidate of a LegCo election is validly nominated. The Government supports the Returning Officer to exercise their statutory power to discharge his/her duties under the law, so as to decide whether a nomination is valid. In accordance with the requirement under the law, the Returning Officer must endorse his/her decision on the nomination form. Copy of the nomination form is available for public inspection.
 
     Decisions made by the Returning Officer aim to ensure that the LegCo election is held in strict accordance with the Basic Law and other applicable laws in an open, fair and honest manner. There is no question of any political censorship, restriction of the freedom of speech or deprivation of the right to stand for elections as alleged by some LegCo Members. Hong Kong has a well-established judicial system. In fact, the existing electoral law has provided for the mechanism of election petitions to handle possible disputes arising from public elections.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the speech.)