Hong Kong Police Honor Fallen Officers on Force Remembrance Day

Speech by Commissioner of Police at the Force Remembrance Day

Following is the speech delivered by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, at the Force Remembrance Day today (November 15):

Distinguished guests and colleagues, we are here today to honour all members of the Hong Kong Police Force, both regular and auxiliary, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the community of Hong Kong. This solemn ceremony is also a fitting tribute to the dedication to duty and fortitude of all members of staff who have served in the Force over the past 180 years.

Since the founding of the Hong Kong Police Force in 1844, members of the Force have been facing different dangers in the course of our duties. Yet, we have always remained undaunted and put the people of Hong Kong first in our determination to safeguard the prosperity and stability of this city. In doing so, some members of the Force paid the ultimate price, and it is in memory of their sacrifices that we are gathered here in remembrance today.

The fallen officers, who remain a source of pride for the Force, have etched their legacy in history through their dedicated and exemplary service in protecting our people’s lives and property. Their sacrifices underscore the risks and challenges inherent in our daily work as police officers. Through it all, it remains our highest honour to serve and defend our community. We pledge to uphold the legacy of those who came before us and remain steadfast in our commitment to the Force's mission of ensuring national security and public safety. Our motto, “Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty”, guides us as we rise to meet the challenges of every operation. It inspires us to respond to public reports and concerns with empathy, ensuring that the citizens look on us as their companions.

In this ceremony, we are also joined by members of the Hong Kong Police Old Comrades Association, the Royal Hong Kong Police Association and former Force members. Like the many who came before them, they represent the finest traditions of service to the community for which the Force is both famed and justifiably proud – traditions, which continue today and are passed on from generation to generation and that make the Hong Kong Police Force continue to be one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world.

To all of you present here today, may I ask you to remain standing, and following the “Last Post”, join me in observing a two-minute silence in memory of all those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Speech by Commissioner of Police at the Force Remembrance Day Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by Commissioner of Police at the Force Remembrance Day Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by Commissioner of Police at the Force Remembrance Day Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by Commissioner of Police at the Force Remembrance Day Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 gazetted today

The Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Bill 2024(Amendment Bill) was published in the Gazette today (November 15) to more effectively combat unlicensed specified process (SP) operations and implement recommendations of the latest Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) review.

A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau indicated that SPs are major sources of serious air pollution. Currently, 31 types of SPs are specified in Schedule 1 to the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311) (APCO). All SP operations are required to have an SP licence issued by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). All unlicensed SP operations are illegal. They cause persistent air pollution problems and a large number of complaints and must be immediately stopped.

The spokesman said, "To provide an effective legal means to stop ongoing unlicensed SP operations as soon as possible, the Amendment Bill proposes to introduce a statutory closure notification mechanism to empower the Director of Environmental Protection to issue a closure notice in respect of the premises where he has reasonable cause to believe that an unlicensed SP is being carried out. The Amendment Bill also proposes to revise the scope of 'cement works' and the definition of 'premises' under the APCO to include cement works carried out at sea in order to enhance regulatory clarity. After the enactment and commencement of the Amendment Bill, we will provide a six-month transitional period for relevant existing operators to apply to the EPD for the required SP licences."

The Amendment Bill also proposes to implement recommendations of the latest AQOs review in order to set out measures and requirements to tackle air pollution problems. The proposed AQOs updates include tightening the five objectives for sulphur dioxide (SO2), respirable suspended particulates (PM10) and fine suspended particulates (PM2.5), and adding three new objectives for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) introduced by the World Health Organization.

The spokesman said, "The updated AQOs will be on par with relevant standards of other advance economies. A transitional period of 36 months will be provided for designated projects for which environmental permits (EP) have been issued under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499) before the new AQOs take effect, starting from the enactment and commencement of the Amendment Bill. During the transition period, the pre-amended AQOs continue to apply to applications for variation of conditions of the EP. Meanwhile, the Amendment Bill also proposes to update the AQOs and provide corresponding transitional arrangements by 'negative vetting' in the future to streamline relevant procedures."

The Amendment Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first and second readings on November 27.