Civil Aid Service Celebrates 90th Recruit Passing-out Parade with Focus on National Security and Community Support

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme

The Civil Aid Service (CAS) held the Passing-out Parade for the 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme at its headquarters today (April 27). The parade was reviewed by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung.

Speaking at the Parade, Mr Tang noted that the CAS, as an auxiliary emergency force of the Government, is tasked with serving the public. Mr Tang highlighted the determination and dedication demonstrated by the recruits during their training, which has prepared them to face future challenges. He expressed the hope that the graduates will continue to carry forward the CAS's 70 years of great tradition by playing four roles, namely guardians of the wild, disaster responders, community supporters and youth leaders, helping government departments in discharging mountain search and rescues and providing emergency rescues during natural disasters, assisting in maintaining order at major activities, as well as cultivating their sense of national identity and civic responsibility.

Mr Tang stressed that the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, said at the opening ceremony of National Security Education Day that external forces' attempts to destabilise Hong Kong and use it to contain China will not change and can never succeed. Mr Tang said he hoped that everyone will continue to enhance their awareness of national security, forming a collaborative and efficient framework with other disciplined forces to maintain national security and ensure high-quality development for Hong Kong.

During the ceremony, Mr Tang presented awards to outstanding recruits. The graduates staged demonstrations of vegetation firefighting and rescue techniques, showcasing the outcomes of their training.

A total of 22 officer trainees, 58 recruits and for the first time, 20 officers and members from the Tactical Force Secondment Scheme, participated in the passing-out parade. All graduates are from diverse backgrounds. The CAS Recruit Training Certificate Programme has been recognised under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework as meeting the accreditation standards at Level 3 by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications. Graduates will be awarded the Certificate in Auxiliary Forces Basic Training (Civil Defence). The graduates will apply their acquired knowledge and skills to serve society.

Recruitment of CAS Grade IV Officers and Grade I Members is open for application throughout the year. Recruitment details and application forms are available on the CAS website (www.cas.gov.hk/eng/adult_recruitment.html).

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Civil Aid Service holds Passing-out Parade for 90th Recruits and 13th Tactical Force Secondment Scheme Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HKSAR Government responds to media enquiries on reporting, photo and video-taking at prohibited places specified in subsidiary legislation made under Safeguarding National Security Ordinance

​In response to media enquiries on reporting, photo and video-taking at prohibited places specified in the subsidiary legislation made under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, a spokesman for the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (May 16) said the following:

The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, at the meeting of the Legislative Council Subcommittee on Two Items of Subsidiary Legislation Made under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the subsequent media session yesterday (May 15), clearly said that according to section 45 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, a "specified officer" (including a police officer or a guard of the prohibited place), who has reasonable grounds to believe that exercising such power is necessary for safeguarding national security, may order any person not to do or cease to do such acts as that of approaching or inspecting (including doing so by electronic or remote means) a prohibited place, and such officer may also order persons in the neighbourhood of a prohibited place to leave. Any person who contravenes an order commits an offence.

There is no problem for members of the public to purely "check in" and take photos near a prohibited place while passing by, without any intention of endangering national security. However, if they deliberately take photos or videos of the entrances or the interior of a prohibited place so as to inspect such place, or engage in other conduct during photo or video-taking giving people reasonable grounds to believe that they may endanger national security, police officers or guards of the prohibited place have the power to ask the members of the public to leave in accordance with the above legal requirements and the judgment made at the scene at the time.