Tag Archives: China

     The second phase of the Rule of Law Education (ROLE) Stars Train-the-Leaders (TTL) Programme was officially launched today (July 6) by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to continue its efforts in enhancing the promotion of rule of law education in the community on all fronts. The two-day foundation course of the Programme provides training to about 120 trainees, who are local secondary school teachers, about knowledge on the rule of law in a diversified, interactive, interesting, down to earth and easy-to-understand manner, to enhance their capability for and effectiveness of the promotion of consistent and correct messages relating to the rule of law to students, young people and other stakeholders of the education sector.
      
     The second phase of the TTL Programme is one of the DoJ’s policy initiatives of “The Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address”. With reference to the successful experience gained from the first phase of the TTL Programme and with the continued support from the Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education and its working groups, the DoJ launched the first event under the second phase of the Programme, which is the foundation course for local secondary school teachers who are mainly responsible for teaching courses of subjects related to the rule of law, the Constitution, national security education, and citizenship and social development.
      
     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, and the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, delivered opening remarks for the event this morning, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, also attended the event. Mr Lam also gave a lecture on the topic of “Rule of law and our legal system”. He elaborated to the trainees on the essence of the rule of law concept, presented an overview on Hong Kong’s legal and judicial systems, and explained to them 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”.
      
     Member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and Member of the Legislative Council Ms Starry Lee, took part in the Programme as a speaker again this year to explain to the trainees about the Mainland legal system and the functions of the NPC and state institutions. Interactive discussions, and question-and-answer exchange sessions were held throughout the whole-day programme, enabling the trainees to ask questions, share their views, and have a better understanding of what they have learned.
      
     Mr Lam said he hoped that this 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 Basic Law, the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, in order to build their confidence in teaching the relevant content in the future. He said 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 instill 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 also expressed his gratitude to the Education Bureau for its assistance in recruiting about 120 secondary school teachers for the Programme. 

     The second day event of the TTL Programme and its graduation ceremony will be held on July 13. Certificates will be presented to trainees who have completed the two-day foundation course of the second phase of the TTL Programme.
      
     The second phase of the 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 TTL Programme will be arranged to visit law enforcement agencies and participate in mock court activities to gain a first-hand experience of the practice of the rule of law, and to strengthen their understanding of criminal justice process. Trainees who completed both activities will be presented a certificate of the advance course of the TTL Programme. 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 2024.
      
     For more details on the TTL Programme and other information relating to the promotion and training on the rule of law, please visit the dedicated website at www.role-ttl.gov.hk.

            

     A woman who went missing in Kwun Tong has been located.      Mak Kwai-king, aged 82, went missing after she was last seen on Lei Yue Mun Road yesterday (July 5) afternoon. Her family made a report to Poli… read more

     Hong Kong Customs launched an anti-illicit cigarette operation on July 3, shutting down a large illicit cigarette storage and distribution centre in Man Kam To and an underground cigarette factory in Lau Fau Shan. A total of about 20.5 million of suspected illicit cigarettes and about 3.5 tons of manufactured tobacco were seized. The total estimated market value of the seizure amounted to about $120 million and a duty potential of about $82 million for the seized tobacco. This is the first-ever underground illegal cigarette factory case effected by Hong Kong Customs.

     That morning, Customs tracked a suspicious container that arrived from Thailand to Hong Kong, and was declared as carrying woods and transported to a container yard in Man Kam To. Later, four men were found transferring a batch of suspected illicit cigarettes from the container onto three lorries. Customs officers then swiftly took action and arrested the four man, aged between 29 and 46, and found three more containers with illicit cigarettes concealed inside at the container yard. After counting, Customs seized about 18 million of suspected illicit cigarettes and around 3.5 tons of manufactured tobacco at the scene, dismantling a large-scale illicit cigarette storage centre. The three lorries suspected of being used for distributing illicit cigarettes were also detained.

     After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers on the same day raided a metal hut located in Lau Fau Shan and discovered an illegal production line for manufacturing cigarettes there. Production and packaging machineries and a large number of raw materials used to manufacture illicit cigarettes, as well as a total of about 2 million of suspected illicit cigarettes, were uncovered inside the metal hut. 

     Customs found that the illicit cigarette production line was hidden in a modular house inside the metal hut, and the house was surrounded by soundproofing materials meant to minimise suspicion from nearby residents and law enforcement officers.

     The case is still under investigation. The four arrested men have been released on bail pending further investigation. Customs will continue to trace the source of the raw materials of the illicit cigarettes and the production line related machines. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs reminds citizens that they must be vigilant when purchasing cigarettes. They should patronise reputable merchants or stores and do not purchase cigarettes from unknown sources to avoid threats to their health.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone, except under and in accordance with a licence, manufacture tobacco commits an offence. Also, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

      

     To enhance public awareness of water safety, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKCLSS) jointly organised the Water Safety Campaign 2024. The prize presentation ceremony for its slogan and graphic design competitions for primary and secondary school students was held at the Kowloon Park Arcade today (July 6). Game stalls were also set up at the entrance lobby of Kowloon Park Swimming Pool’s spectator stand to promote water safety.
 
     There are two themes for this year’s competitions, namely “Be considerate and refrain from engaging in water sports activities under inclement weather” for the secondary school section, and “For safety’s sake, children and elderly persons should be accompanied during water sports activities” for the primary school section.
 
     The response to both competitions was enthusiastic. The standard of entries was high, fully demonstrating the creativity and artistic talents of the students. The organisers have used the champion slogans (in Chinese) and graphic designs from both sections to produce two posters for the campaign.
 
     Addressing the ceremony, Assistant Director (Leisure Services) of the LCSD Mr Henry Wong said that swimming is one of the most popular leisure activities in Hong Kong. Last year, the attendance of public beaches and swimming pools under the LCSD was nearly 20 million. Mr Wong appealed to members of the public to take heed of water safety advice while swimming, and not conduct any water sports activities during inclement weather. Offenders are liable to prosecution.
 
     Mr Wong also thanked the HKCLSS for its continued efforts over the years in promoting and organising lifesaving training courses, examinations and competitions, as well as nurturing life guards. Lifesaving services can therefore be maintained at aquatic venues across the city to keep swimmers safe.
 
     The winning entries of the two competitions are now on display at the entrance lobby of Kowloon Park Swimming Pool’s spectator stand until July 18. They can also be viewed on the LCSD webpages at
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/swimhandbook/poster/2024result.html (graphic design competition) and
www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/swimhandbook/slogan/2024wscslogan.html (Chinese slogan competition).

          

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) held the Greening School Project Award prize presentation ceremony at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre today (July 6) to commend 39 schools for their green school projects and contributions to environmental greening.

     The LCSD is committed to promoting greening. To enhance students’ interest in and knowledge of horticulture and to beautify school environments, the department provides annual cash subsidies under its Greening School Subsidy Scheme to encourage more greening and planting activities on campuses. The targets of the subsidy scheme are kindergartens and primary, secondary and special schools throughout the territory. Greening School Project Awards are also presented to schools to acknowledge their outstanding achievements in campus greening.

     Addressing the prize presentation ceremony, the Chief Leisure Manager (Green Campaign) of the LCSD, Ms Tina Tai, said that the Greening School Subsidy Scheme is one of the educational and community involvement activities under the Green Hong Kong Campaign. The scheme has been well received, with the number of participating schools increasing from around 300 in the initial year to nearly 900 this year. The standards of the green projects have continued to rise as well. It is encouraging to see both teachers and students rallying together to make their schools greener and prettier. Some of the projects have also incorporated eco-friendly elements, which can help raise students’ awareness of environmental protection.

     Ms Tai added that the smooth implementation of greening initiatives in Hong Kong has been made possible with the active participation and ardent support from different sectors of the community. She also thanked the representatives from the Community Involvement Committee on Greening of the Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects and the Education Bureau as adjudicators.

     The Greening School Project Award was presented in eight categories. The champions are as follows:

1) Large Garden Plot Project (Secondary School Section):
ELCHK Lutheran Academy (Secondary Section)

2) Large Garden Plot Project (Primary School Section):
Kwong Ming School

3) Small Garden Plot Project (Secondary School Section):
Buddhist Ho Nam Kam College

4) Small Garden Plot Project (Primary School Section):
Precious Blood Primary School (South Horizons)

5) Garden Plot Project (Kindergarten Section):
TWGHs Liu Yan Tak Memorial Kindergarten

6) Tree Planting Project:
Fanling Public School

7) Horticultural Maintenance:
AD & FD of POHL Leung Sing Tak School

8) Best Green Concept:
TWGHs Liu Yan Tak Memorial Kindergarten

     The list of other winners of the Greening School Project Award is available on the LCSD webpage www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/green/education/greeningschool/2023schoolawardlist.html. 

     Other officiating guests included non-official member of the Community Involvement Committee on Greening of the Development Bureau Dr Angie Ng; Vice President of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects Mr Benni Pong; and the Chief School Development Officer (Yau Tsim and Mong Kok District) of the Education Bureau, Ms Jessie Woo.