A 56-year-old male person in custody who had been found unconscious in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre died in a public hospital today (March 23).

     The person in custody suffered from hypertension, neurosyphilis and meningitis. He required continuous medical care and follow-up at the institution hospital and public hospitals. At 1.23am today, he was found unconscious in his bed in the institution hospital by a correctional officer. The officer immediately provided first-aid treatment to him and called for reinforcement and ambulance to send him to a public hospital for further rescue. His condition deteriorated and he was certified dead at 2.43am today.

     The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner's Court.

     The person in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug in November 2018.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 23) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (March 23). They are, on Hong Kong Island, The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council; in Kowloon, Hong Kong and Macao Lions Beacon for Youth Foundation Limited; and in the New Territories, The Samaritans, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.
 
     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people to distinguish among the three flag-selling activities.
 
     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on March 23 is as follows:
 

 
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
 
     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.

     â€‹The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (March 22) strongly condemned countries and regions (including Australia and China's Taiwan region) which, under the pretext of the so-called foreign travel advice, smeared the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (the Ordinance) that the risks of travelling to Hong Kong would increase and people "could break the laws without intending to" after the Ordinance comes into effect. The HKSAR Government strongly condemned such political manoeuvres with skewed, fact-twisting, scaremongering and panic-spreading remarks.
      
     A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, "The offences endangering national security stipulated by the Ordinance target acts endangering national security with precision, and define the elements and penalties of the offences with clarity. All law enforcement actions taken by the law enforcement agencies of the HKSAR are based on evidence, strictly according to the law and for the acts of the persons concerned. The prosecution has the burden to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant had the actus reus and mens rea of an offence before the defendant may be convicted by the court. Ordinary travellers (including travellers from Australia and China's Taiwan region) will not engage in acts and activities endangering our national security and will not unwittingly violate the law.
      
     "Extraterritorial effect for the offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Ordinance fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions. It is both necessary and legitimate, and is also in line with those of other countries and regions around the world. It can be seen that the national security laws of various countries, including the United States (the US), the United Kingdom (the UK), Australia, Canada and the Member States of the European Union, also have extraterritorial effect under the 'personality principle' and the 'protective principle'. In formulating the extraterritorial effect under the Ordinance, we have taken into account the principles of international law and international practice of state jurisdiction, as well as the nature of the offences.
      
     "We have to emphasise that all law enforcement actions taken by the law enforcement agencies of the HKSAR are based on evidence, strictly according to the law and for the acts of the persons concerned, instead of arbitrary arrests as claimed."
      
     The spokesman reiterated, "According to the Ordinance, the detention period of a person arrested without charge can be extended only when the strict conditions provided under the Ordinance are met. Pursuant to Article 5(3) of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, an arrested person has the right to be brought promptly before a judge, and such right is not at all prejudiced by the proposal. If it is necessary to extend the detention period of an arrested person, an application must be made to the court, and the court may only grant such application where there are reasonable grounds to believe that an extension is justified based on the specified ground, such as where the detention is necessary for securing or preserving evidence of the offence, and in any event for a total period not exceeding 14 days. These multiple safeguards ensure that the person would not be subject to arbitrary detention in breach of his right to liberty and security of person. Other countries also have relevant legislation that enable law enforcement agencies to extend the detention period, for example, in the UK, the detention period can be extended for 14 days, while in Singapore, a suspect can even be detained without charge for a period of up to two years, and can be further extended.
      
      "As regards the power to restrict consultation with lawyers under the Ordinance, it is attended by sufficient safeguards to ensure that it is consistent with the right to confidential legal advice and the choice of lawyers. According to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, an arrested person's right to consult a lawyer may be temporarily restricted in exceptional circumstances where the government has compelling reasons to do so. Such restriction is permitted under the laws of, for instance, the UK, the European Union, the US and Canada. Although the arrested person's right to consult a lawyer is restricted to some extent, the investigating officers must still respect the other rights that the arrested person is entitled to under the law, including the right to silence. Overall, we believe that the restriction would not affect the right to a fair trial that the defendant enjoys."
      
     The spokesman said, "We also note that recently individual countries (including the US, Canada and Japan) and some external organisations continue to make unfounded criticisms against the Ordinance, disregarding the strong popular support for the Ordinance and its benefits for Hong Kong's economic development and protection of human rights. Their attempt to mislead the public should be condemned."
      
     "The Ordinance clearly specifies that the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law, as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, are to be protected in accordance with the law. Critics neglected the provisions and lashed out wantonly, fully exposing their malicious intentions to harm Hong Kong."
      
     "Enacting laws on safeguarding national security is an inherent right of every sovereign state and also an international practice. Many common law jurisdictions have multiple national security legislation. Nevertheless, the relevant parties deliberately turned a deaf ear and maliciously smeared the Ordinance, completely unmasking their double standards."
      
     "The Ordinance is a piece of legislation to defend against external forces that endanger our national security, acting like a door lock to strengthen protection for our home. Only invaders who want to intrude into our home to plunder and loot will not want Hong Kong to legislate to safeguard the country. The HKSAR Government strongly urges these countries, regions and organisations, all with ulterior motives, to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs which are internal affairs of China. Their tactics attempting to destabilise Hong Kong will never succeed," the spokesman reiterated.

     A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) said that the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel (Working Group) led by the EEB has given agreement-in-principle to five more applications of trial projects on hydrogen fuel technology at its meeting today (March 22).  
 
     The relevant projects involve:
 

1. an application submitted by Epro Advance Technology Limited, which involves the use of silicon to produce hydrogen for power generation set to provide electricity for a public housing construction site in Tung Chung;
2. an application submitted by Waihong Environmental Services Limited to try out two hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) refuse collection vehicles;
3. an application submitted by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to try out three HFC street washing vehicles on hire for street washing;
4. an application jointly submitted by China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited and Hong Kong Nation-Synergy International Hydrogen Power Technology Co. Limited, which involves provision of electricity with hydrogen power generation equipment for the operation of electric machinery at a construction site in Sheung Shui; and
5. an application submitted by Veolia Hong Kong Holding Limited, which involves production of hydrogen by using landfill gas and installation of related hydrogen refuelling facilities at the South East New Territories Landfill Extension.

 
     The spokesman for the EEB stated, "The Working Group has been following up the aforementioned five trial project applications, and promptly initiated the examination process upon receipt of detailed information of the trial projects. Following the applicants' enhancement on the designs and technical details to ensure that the trial projects can be carried out smoothly and safely, the Working Group has given agreement-in-principle to the five applications at its meeting today."
 
     To date, the Working Group has examined and given agreement-in-principle in stages to a total of 14 valid applications of hydrogen energy trial projects (see attachment). Citybus Limited (Citybus)'s HFC double-deck bus commenced daily passenger service in end February this year. Sinopec (Hong Kong) Limited's target is to put its hydrogen refuelling station into operation within this year.  The FEHD can use the hydrogen refuelling station to replenish hydrogen fuel, hence it plans to launch the trial of its three HFC street washing vehicles in tandem with the operation of the station. The MTR Corporation Limited also plans to conduct the trial of a hydrogen fuelled light rail vehicle as a non-revenue train within this year.
 
     The Working Group has been making reference to the result of consultancy studies to formulate interim standards for use by relevant trial projects, which include the safety guidelines for hydrogen fuel system on vehicles and hydrogen filling stations developed with reference to the Mainland and overseas regulations and standards, as well as the technical guidance note on quantitative risk assessment of hydrogen filling stations. The Working Group will continue to make reference to the operational data and experience collected from the trials. In addition, the relevant consultancy study on business environment impact assessment is also underway. All these help establish the relevant guidelines and legislative framework for the application of hydrogen in Hong Kong in the long term.
 
     The spokesman said, "The Working Group has listened to the results of the consultancy study on the use of tunnels by HFC vehicles, including reference to relevant regulations in the Mainland and overseas countries, and has reviewed the design storage capacity, operating pressure and various safety devices of HFC vehicles. The Working Group shares the view that the risk of HFC vehicles using tunnels is comparable to that of liquefied petroleum gas vehicles and other fossil fuel vehicles. They can travel in tunnels if they comply with the relevant guidelines. However, vehicles conveying hydrogen (such as tube trailers), similar to other vehicles carrying dangerous goods, are not allowed to use tunnels. They can only use the sea route."
 
     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) conducted a trade consultation exercise from February 20 to March 19, 2024 to explain the study results to the relevant trades (including public transport operators and tunnel operators, etc.) and listen to their opinions.
 
     The spokesman continued, "The EMSD reported the results of the trade consultation to the Working Group at the meeting. Stakeholders strongly conveyed positive feedback and supported the Government's proposal. The Working Group has also accepted the Code of Practice for Hydrogen Fuelled Vehicles and Maintenance Workshops, the Code of Practice for Hydrogen Filling Stations and the Guidance Note for Quantitative Risk Assessment Study for Hydrogen Installations, which were formulated by the EMSD after consultation with the trades."
 
     As noted by the Working Group, the EMSD and the Transport Department (TD) will meet with Citybus and tunnel operators on March 25 this year to discuss practical matters pertinent to hydrogen buses passing through tunnels, such as operational procedures, mode of operation, supporting measures, as well as how to let staff and contractors master and get conversant with the daily operations and contingency measures, etc., with a view to ensuring that appropriate arrangements are put in place to cater for HFC vehicles passing through tunnels in the future.
 
     The spokesman supplemented, "as announced in the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address, we will formulate the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong (the Strategy) in the first half of 2024, and commence the preparatory work for legislative amendments pertinent to the production, storage, transportation and application of hydrogen energy, with a view to introducing an amendment bill into the Legislative Council in 2025. The Working Group has also discussed the preparation work and action timeline for the core strategies and actions pursuant to the announcement of the Strategy."
 
     The EEB has set up a thematic webpage (cnsd.gov.hk/en/inter-departmental-working-group-on-using-hydrogen-as-fuel/) under the Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development website, in order to facilitate the public to acquire a better understanding of the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in promoting local hydrogen development. The aforementioned codes of practices and guidance note established by the EMSD are also available on the thematic webpage.
 
     The Working Group is formed by the EEB, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the EMSD, the Fire Services Department, the TD, the Marine Department, the Planning Department, the Lands Department, the Buildings Department and the Architectural Services Department.