A foreign domestic helper was convicted of conspiracy to defraud and working illegally in Hong Kong, and was sentenced to imprisonment on November 19 in the Sha Tin Magistrates' Court.
 
     The Immigration Department's Foreign Domestic Helpers Special Investigation Section conducted an anti-illegal worker operation on August 22 at a restaurant in Wan Chai district. During the operation, a 26-year-old Indian woman was arrested while she was working as a dishwasher. Investigators found that the illegal worker was a foreign domestic helper and her contractual employer was the owner of an outsourced cleaning company who contracted the restaurant's dishwashing work. 
 
     Under caution, the arrested foreign domestic helper admitted to have worked as a kitchen dishwasher at the restaurant since January this year for the purpose of earning a monthly salary of HK$14,000. She also admitted to have conspired with her contractual employer to apply for a foreign domestic helper visa using a false contract in order to work illegally in Hong Kong, instead of performing domestic duties.
 
     The arrested foreign domestic helper was charged at the Shatin Magistrates' Court on November 19 with conspiracy to defraud and taking employment while being a person who remains in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration after having landed in Hong Kong unlawfully. She pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to a total of 18 months' imprisonment. Her contractual employer and the person-in-charge of the restaurant were also arrested, and the investigation is still ongoing.
 
     An ImmD spokesman warned, "As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment."
 
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and ten years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law and employ illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

     The spokesman continued that conspiracy to defraud is a serious offence. Under the Crimes Ordinance, offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS)'s Commendation Award cum Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Award Presentation Ceremony 2024 was held at the Central Government Offices today (November 21). The SCS, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, presented the SCS's Commendation Award to civil servants from different bureaux and departments with persistent exemplary performance, and awards of the inaugural Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme to recognise civil service volunteer teams and individuals for their outstanding performance and contributions in participating in and promoting volunteer service. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, also attended the ceremony to extend his congratulations to the award recipients.

     Addressing the ceremony, Mrs Yeung commended the awardees for their dedication to serving the public, whether through their work or volunteer service, which sets outstanding examples for the civil service.
 
     Mrs Yeung said that the civil service is the cornerstone of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governance system, key to the Government's effective administration, and a bridge between the Government and the public. Strengthening the governance capabilities of the civil service is a key initiative of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) in this year's Policy Address, and one of the major achievements in this regard is the promulgation of the updated Civil Service Code in June this year. The Code outlines the core values that civil servants should uphold, including passion for public service, dedication to duty, and being people-oriented, which are fully reflected in the achievements of the awardees of the SCS' Commendation Award Scheme. 

     With a view to motivating civil servants, including those with shorter service, to continuously strive for excellence, Mrs Yeung said that the CSB enhanced the SCS' Commendation Award Scheme this year by lifting the minimum service length requirement for an awardee to sustain 20 years of service to obtain the travel award. A total of 12 civil servants with five to 17 years of service benefited from this initiative.

     Mrs Yeung added that a total of 14 civil service volunteer teams and 337 individuals were awarded under the inaugural Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme. Through the Scheme, civil servants' contribution to volunteer service will be recognised on a regular basis, further motivating more civil servants to take part in volunteer service, promoting a caring and supportive culture of volunteerism within the civil service, and enabling the public to have a better understanding of the civil service's efforts in helping the needy.

     The SCS's Commendation Award Scheme was introduced in 2004 to commend staff members who have achieved exemplary work performance continuously for five years or above. The Scheme has a rigorous selection process requiring nominations from Permanent Secretaries, departmental heads or heads of grades and adjudication by a selection committee; the final decision on the awardees' list is made by the SCS. This year, a total of 100 civil servants received awards from 42 bureaux and departments across 51 grades, including professional and technical grades, disciplined services and general grades.

     Principal Ambulanceman of the Fire Services Department Mr Chew Ming-tak, who received the SCS's Commendation Award this year, has been stationed at various ambulance depots for 27 years and now serves as an Assistant Instructor in the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy, training new recruits. He is a dedicated instructor and has set a good example for his fellow ambulancemen. He hopes to pass on the knowledge and spirit of ambulance service to new generations of ambulancemen so that they can continue to provide quality service to citizens.

     Senior Health Inspector of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr Wong Ming-chun also received the SCS's Commendation Award. During his tenure in the Cleansing Infrastructure Team, he was responsible for taking forward the Enhanced Public Toilet Refurbishment Programme. He worked closely with an interdepartmental team to improve the layout, finishes and appliances, as well as ventilation and lighting systems of public toilets, with a view to creating modern public toilets that better meet user needs.

     Newly launched this year, the Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme includes awards for volunteer teams and individuals. Criteria for the awards include volunteer service hours, diversity of scope and type of volunteer service; features or innovativeness of activities; leadership of individual volunteers to mobilise colleagues to participate in volunteer activities; partnerships with departmental volunteer teams and collaborating organisations; and continuous and dedicated efforts in planning and organising activities for departmental volunteer teams. Serving civil servants, government contract staff and retired civil servants are eligible for nomination for the awards. 

     Under the inaugural Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme, six government departments received the Outstanding Volunteer Team Award, and eight volunteer teams received the Meritorious Volunteer Service Award (the list of award recipients is in the Annex). Among them were volunteer teams from the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD). 

     The HKPF develops and promotes volunteer service with distinctive features through various platforms. Its officers participate in individual volunteer service on their own initiative and organise diverse volunteer teams. The HKPF Volunteer Teams, which have accumulated more than 50 000 hours of volunteer service and organised over 1 000 volunteer activities in 2023-24, won the Gold Prize of the Outstanding Volunteer Team Award (Large Department). The Police Volunteer Services Corps, one of the HKPF Volunteer Teams, has demonstrated excellent organisation skills and outstanding mobilisation capability. It makes good use of members' various skills to provide unique and diverse volunteer services, such as organising activities for young people to help them maintain a positive attitude during difficult times in their growth.

     Established in 2008, the CEDD Volunteer Team strives to establish partnerships with various non-profit-making organisations and serves a wide range of recipients, such as the elderly, youth, children, grassroots families and persons with disabilities, through organising diverse volunteer services including residential care home visits, tours, youth orientation and environmental protection activities. In 2023-24, the CEDD Volunteer Team planned or participated in more than 70 volunteer services, mobilised more than 800 volunteers and contributed about 3 300 hours of service.

     To better showcase to the public the accomplishments of civil servants and their dedication to serving the community, the CSB and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) have jointly produced a 10-episode television series entitled "United to serve the community – Good stories of civil servants", each episode lasting five minutes. Additionally, there is a special 10-minute television programme entitled "Volunteering for the well-being of our community – Good stories of civil servants", featuring awarded civil servants, departmental volunteer teams and individuals. The programmes will be broadcast on RTHK TV31 in December. Details are as follows:
 

          

     To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, two special evening events will be hosted this weekend (November 23 and 24). An outdoor immersive light show, "Gentle Smoke of Tea", which integrates architecture, history and the art of tea ware, will be staged to reminisce about the museum's history and mission. A concert will be held in the evening of November 23, where visitors will experience a unique audiovisual art performance. The evening events are also part of Muse Fest HK 2024. Admission is free. Visitors can join on the spot without prior registration.

     "Hong Kong Artist Dialogue Series: 'Gentle Smoke of Tea' Light Show" and "The Sound of Art" concert will be held from 6.30pm to 8pm on Saturday. By integrating the latest projecting technology into historical architecture, Hong Kong art group XRT will illuminate the façade of the museum, a nearly 180-year-old building, with themes of poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal carvings on tea ware. This will highlight the distinctive architectural features of this historical building and offer the audience a visual feast. In addition, audience members can also enjoy a concert on the museum's outdoor lawn, immersing themselves in music.

     On Sunday night, in addition to the light show, audiences can visit various exhibitions at the museum, including the newly launched thematic exhibition "Rendezvous with Tea" in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the museum. With a theme of auspicious and profound blessings, the exhibition features 18 unique and meaningful teapots selected from the K.S. Lo Collection of the museum. The exhibits span from the Ming dynasty to the 20th century, with most pieces featuring vibrant colours and intricate decorations. They showcase Dr K S Lo's aesthetic appreciation for folk vessels while highlighting the beauty of traditional Chinese culture. These teapots are adorned with a variety of auspicious patterns that are especially suitable for birthday celebrations, including patterns of the Chinese characters fu (blessing) and shou (longevity), the Eight Immortals of Chinese mythology presenting birthday wishes, and auspicious symbols such as dragons, bats and butterflies. Some teapots are creatively designed, for example in the shape of a peach or a pear or even the character shou.

     The museum has also invited art group DBIS to create the interactive installation "Garden of Four Seasons" by integrating art and technology. By incorporating the Twelve cups representing flowers of each month in wucai enamel from the museum's collection into its interactive artwork, audiences can engage with these 12-month cups to guide the growth of floral deities through their body movements, creating a lively virtual garden.
      
     Located at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central (inside Hong Kong Park), the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware was originally built in 1846 as the former residence of the Commander of the British Forces and is also known as the "Flagstaff House". This two-storey mansion constructed in Greek Revival style is the oldest surviving example of Western architecture in Hong Kong. It was revitalised as the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in 1984 after renovations and was declared a monument in 1989. It is a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It is dedicated to the collection, display, and study of tea ware and its related culture. For details of the museum's 40th anniversary events, please visit the website hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/tea-for-all.html or call 2869 0690 for enquiries.

              

     The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, and the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, attended different forums of the 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit held in Hangzhou today (November 21) and exchanged views on Hong Kong's latest developments in innovation and technology with representatives of government institutions, international organisations, enterprises and research institutes from the Mainland and abroad.

     They attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Summit yesterday (November 20). The Summit, with the theme "Embracing a People-centered and AI for Good Digital Future – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", is hosted by the World Internet Conference.

     Ms Cheong attended the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Internet Development Forum and delivered a keynote speech today, stressing that Hong Kong is pressing ahead to build itself into an international innovation and technology centre, with a view to creating new quality productive forces through scientific innovation.

     She pointed out that Hong Kong is actively taking forward the development of innovation and technology in the GBA by promoting data flows, and is also accelerating the development of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. The Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone was promulgated by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government yesterday, under which facilitation policy measures enabling the flow of personnel, materials, capital and data between the Hong Kong Park and the Shenzhen Park will be explored with the relevant central authorities under the "one country, two systems" and "one zone, two parks" principles. The policy measures will help promote technological and industrial innovation and make the Hetao Co-operation Zone a crucial source of new quality productive forces for the GBA and the country.

     Ms Cheong then attended the Digital Economy Forum. In her keynote address, she noted that Hong Kong is driving its digital economy by using data as a key element through four directions: enhancing Hong Kong's digital policy, strengthening digital infrastructure, promoting digital industrialisation and industrial digitisation, and expanding international co-operation in the digital economy. The HKSAR Government is also developing 10 hectares of land in Sandy Ridge in the Northern Metropolis as a data park to pool together representative data enterprises from home and abroad. Leveraging the city's unique role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", the HKSAR Government is striving to enhance the resilience of global supply chains through a digital economy, thereby making a greater contribution to advancing the Chinese path to modernisation while supporting the establishment of global institutional and system innovation.

     Separately, Mr Wong delivered a keynote address today in the Cybersecurity Forum for Technology Development and International Cooperation, sharing the strategies of the HKSAR Government in promoting the development of artificial intelligence (AI). He stated that the HKSAR Government is implementing various measures including enriching data resources, promoting data openness, and establishing digital infrastructure to support the comprehensive development of AI, strengthening AI governance, and promoting applications on digital government. The Government continues to strive to safeguard Hong Kong's unique advantages of the free flow of data, openness, and a high degree of internationalisation, while simultaneously building a secure and stable Internet environment to serve as an important window for the country to the world by aligning with national development.

     Mr Wong also participated in the Data Governance Forum, where he shared Hong Kong's efforts in promoting cross-boundary data flows, as well as the opportunities brought about by the cross-boundary data flow. He pointed out that the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information Within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland, Hong Kong) represents a policy breakthrough and is the first facilitation measure to foster the cross-boundary flow of personal information within the GBA in a safe and orderly manner. This initiative promotes more cross-boundary services that benefit the public and businesses, thereby helping Hong Kong better integrate into the digital economic development of the GBA. He expressed gratitude to the Cyberspace Administration of China for its support of Hong Kong so that industries of all sectors in the GBA can take part in the cross-boundary data flow in a safe and orderly manner.

     Ms Cheong and Mr Wong also visited three local technology enterprises in Hangzhou. They engaged in exchanges with the enterprises' representatives on such areas as security measures for digital government development and major international events, smart factories, and development of large AI models and applications.

     They concluded their visit today and returned to Hong Kong in the evening.

                

     Hong Kong Customs and the Australian Border Force cohosted the two-day Regional Conference on Combating Illicit Cigarette on November 20 and 21, with the meeting concluding today (November 21).
      
     This is the first large-scale regional conference on combating illicit cigarettes held by Hong Kong Customs. The two-day Conference gathered more than 40 representatives from 18 Asia-Pacific (A/P) members of the World Customs Organization (WCO), experts from law enforcement agencies and public health professionals, including a representative from the Hong Kong Department of Health. They had an in-depth exchange of views and shared experiences on combating the cross-border smuggling of cigarettes and enforcing tobacco control policies.
      
     In her opening speech at the Conference, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho, said that illicit cigarette smuggling has been a concern to many Customs administrations. In the A/P region, the situations were particularly serious in Hong Kong and Australia. According to the WCO Illicit Trade Report 2023, 90 Customs administrations reported more than 38 000 illicit tobacco cases and seized over 3.1 billion sticks of illicit cigarettes last year, representing an increase of 54 per cent and 46 per cent respectively when compared with 2022.
      
     Hong Kong Customs always spares no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities. The amount of illicit cigarettes seized in the past four years has been continuously increasing, from around 55 million sticks in 2019 to 652 million sticks in 2023. These upward trends have indicated ongoing challenges in combating cross-border cigarette smuggling and the need for enhanced enforcement capacity. Therefore, Hong Kong Customs and the Australian Border Force cohosted the conference with an aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences among A/P members in combating illicit cigarettes to further enhance the co-operation and law enforcement capabilities of regional members in this field.
      
     At the same time, the Australian Border Force at the conference also reviewed and refined the A/P joint operation against the smuggling of illicit cigarettes codenamed "Yarrowdark", which it initiated this year. The participating law enforcement agencies also evaluated the trends and patterns of illicit cigarette activities to further strengthen the effectiveness of regional co-operation against illicit cigarettes.
      
     The conference also included a series of thematic presentations and discussions focusing on illicit cigarettes and public health concerns. Participants explored enforcement strategies and effectiveness from diverse perspectives, while fostering co-operation and information sharing among A/P members and related stakeholders.
      
     In addition, Hong Kong Customs took this opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with law enforcement agencies in Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore respectively to explore collaboration in combating cigarette smuggling activities and promote a more comprehensive exchange of intelligence information to foster closer mutual co-operation.