Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

The building was not just a key landmark in that era; its architectural integrity allowed the main structure to survive the Taipei Air Raid of May 1945, despite serious damage to its front left side. After repairs, the building continued to serve as the seat of political power in Taiwan. In 1946, to celebrate the 60th birthday of then-President Chiang Kai-shek, it underwent an extensive renovation and was renamed Chieh Shou Hall (“Chieh Shou” means “Long live Chiang Kai­-shek” in Mandarin).
The Office of the Governor-General was built in a late-Renaissance style that was influenced by the English architect Norman Shaw and is sometimes referred to as “the Tatsuno specifications.” The facade consists of many classical elements, including colonnades, gables, arched windows, oeil-de-boeuf windows, brackets, Roman columns, and compound columns.
The Republic of China was founded on the principles of democracy and freedom. After trials and challenges, these values ultimately took root and have flourished in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. Today, the 23 million people of the country serve as the navigators of this “Ark of Democracy,” collectively guiding the nation forward with stability and purpose.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

In relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, the Government announced today that it has disbursed a special subsidy of $20,000 to 110 foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) employed there. Separately, $200,000 tokens of solidarity of and funeral grants of $50,000 have been offered to the families of each deceased FDH, whilst injury grants of $50,000 or $100,000 have also been given out to injured FDHs.

Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has made special arrangements for FDHs whose employers are unable to continue their employment contracts due to the Tai Po blaze. The helpers concerned will be allowed to remain in Hong Kong for three months as visitors, extendable if necessary, in order to seek new employers without having to return to their places of origin first. The Immigration Department will also waive the fees for their extension of stay.

As of this morning, 1,336 residents had been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3,247 residents are living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Hong Kong Housing Society, or at Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.

The Government remarked that there is still an abundant supply of more than 1,000 units for longer term accommodation for those affected by the fire. Transitional housing and Hong Kong Housing Society projects in different districts can altogether provide around 400 units at the moment. In addition, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide around 900 units.

As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.4 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, the fund now totals around $3.7 billion.

On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,800 registrations have been received. About 23,000 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (December 15) that Kowloon Bay Sports Ground in Kwun Tong District will be temporarily closed from January 2 to September 29 next year for renovation works.

     During the closure period, members of the public may use similar facilities at Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground in Wong Tai Sin District and Kowloon Tsai Sports Ground in Kowloon City District. 

     For enquiries, please contact the venue staff at 2750 8512.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 15) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Nidzica District of the WarmiÅ„sko-Mazurskie Region, the PoznaÅ„ District of the Wielkopolskie Region and the Gorzów District of the Lubuskie Region in Poland, and in the Province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland and about 150 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from the Netherlands in the first nine months of this year.

“The CFS has contacted the Polish and Dutch authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:

     Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo Non-official Members) today (December 15) issued the following statement:

The Court of First Instance of the High Court convicted Lai Chee-ying of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious publications, and ExCo Non-official Members welcome the verdict.

ExCo Non-official Members stated that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, consistently adhering to the principles that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable. The court’s conviction demonstrates the justice of the law and upholds the core values of Hong Kong.

ExCo Non-official Members condemn any acts of collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. Those who break the law must bear legal consequences for their unlawful actions, and convicted individuals got what they deserved.

ExCo Non-official Members will continue to support the Special Administrative Region Government in steadfastly fulfilling its responsibility to safeguard national security and making every effort to prevent, stop, and punish acts and activities that threaten national security.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Two incoming passengers were sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment and fined $300, and six weeks’ imprisonment and fined $500, respectively by the courts today (December 15) for importing and possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
 
     Customs officers intercepted a 21-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (December 14). Around 10 800 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $48,600 and a duty potential of about $35,700, were seized from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and fined $500 by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today.

     In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 37-year-old incoming female passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point yesterday and seized 5 800 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $23,000 and a duty potential of about $19,000 from her personal baggage. She was subsequently arrested and was sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment and fined $300 by the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today.
 
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
 
     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (December 15) alerted members of the public to a fraudulent WSD website address (wsdgov[.]com), which asks recipients to pay water bills via a hyperlink provided.
 
The WSD stresses that the fraudulent website has no connection with the WSD and has reported the case to the Police. The spokesman said that members of the public who have registered for the WSD’s electronic services account and e-billing service must complete verification on the WSD website (www.wsd.gov.hk) before they can view their e-bills and obtain the Faster Payment System QR code on the bill for making payments.
 
Members of the public should stay alert when receiving any unidentified emails or messages, and not visit any suspicious websites and disclose any personal information. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website concerned or other suspcious websites should contact the Police. For enquiries, please call the WSD’s customer services hotline at 2824 5000.
 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following are the remarks made by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, at a media session on the Lai Chee-ying case this afternoon (December 15):

Reporter: Firstly, regarding the verdict of this case, does this mean the cases surrounding Apple Daily have officially concluded and there will be no more prosecution in this regard? Secondly, regarding this case attracting heavy international media and political attention, are you worried that this verdict will draw further international sanctions towards Hong Kong, particularly from US President Donald Trump? Thank you.

Secretary for Security: First of all, I do not comment on individual suspects or organisations. For whatever criminal cases, including those relating to national security, if we have evidence, we will arrest (those suspects). If we have sufficient evidence, we will prosecute (suspects). No one is above the law. Regarding the international concerns of this case, I think a lot of foreign consulate staff attending the trial throughout are the witnesses of how open and fair this trial is.

I think this illustrates these kinds of activities, happening in any country, if someone uses the media to try to overturn a regime, I think this is not bearable by every government. I think this case illustrates how safe Hong Kong is and how we are able to interdict all the national security concerns and all the attempts to affect the national security. I think this is a good showcase to show that Hong Kong is safe and it is safe to do investments in Hong Kong.

Reporter: How do you make sure today’s verdict does not affect freedom of the press in Hong Kong?

Secretary for Security: First of all, the verdict states very clearly that this is nothing to do with the freedom of press in this case. It is solely because of Lai Chee-ying’s utilising of Apple Daily as a platform to advocate his hatred against the Government and his plot to try to overturn our CPG’s (Central People’s Government) regime.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (December 15) that the department has been adopting a multipronged approach to tackle dripping air conditioner issues. The FEHD stepped up inspections and enforcement across districts in Hong Kong this summer. By combining publicity and education, the application of innovative technology and adjustments to operational strategies, the measures have achieved notable results.

     The spokesman said, “As of November 30, the FEHD had handled accumulatively about 8 500 dripping air conditioners this year, a number that had risen by approximately three times compared to 2023, and recorded an increase of more than 30 per cent compared with the same period last year. The problem of dripping air conditioners has shown considerable improvement at locations identified as black spots.

     “Given the vast number of air conditioners across Hong Kong, dripping air conditioners remain common and pose considerable challenges to the department’s enforcement efforts. The FEHD will build on this year’s experience to formulate more effective strategies and measures. These include the additional use of AI image recognition technology to automatically detect dripping sources, as well as strengthening collaboration with the property management sector to tackle the problem of dripping air conditioners and improve the living environment for the public,” the spokesman added.

     The FEHD adopted a new operational strategy this year. In addition to sustaining the effort in handling public complaints, FEHD officers proactively conducted door-to-door inspections and took enforcement action at about 300 key follow-up locations with dripping air conditioners across districts. Thirty dripping blackspots causing significant nuisance to the public, including bus stops, minibus stops and pedestrian passages, were also targeted, with enforcement actions conducted at least once a week. To address the prevalence of dripping issues during night-time and early morning hours, the department reallocated manpower for investigations, shifting from the previous 70 per cent daytime and 30 per cent night-time distribution to 30 per cent daytime and 70 per cent night-time.

     By leveraging innovative technology, the FEHD also collaborated with the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre under the Innovation and Technology Commission to develop the Dripping Air Conditioner Investigation System, which has achieved remarkable results while being used in all districts. Equipped with infrared night-vision recording, the system can quickly identify the source of dripping at night or in low-light conditions. With a detection range of up to 120 meters, it can cover buildings of around 40 stories high, significantly reducing the time required for investigation and evidence collection. Building on the existing Dripping Air Conditioner Investigation System, the FEHD plans to develop AI recognition technology to automatically detect dripping locations and accurately pinpoint sources, thereby significantly improving investigation accuracy and enhancing the work efficiency. The department aims to begin implementing the new technology in the summer next year.

     The FEHD also strengthened publicity and education in collaboration with District Council members, members of the local community and property management companies. Leaflets and posters were distributed, promotional materials were displayed at bus stops, and feature videos were released through social media, radio and television, reminding the public to check their air conditioners regularly and promptly address any dripping issues to avoid creating a nuisance.

     In addition, the FEHD recently collaborated with the Property Management Services Authority to develop the Best Practice Guide on Handling Dripping Air Conditioners, providing guidance for licensed property management companies and property management personnel. In parallel, the FEHD continues to promote the Scheme of Participation by Property Management Agents in Tackling Dripping Air-conditioners, inviting property management agents of private housing estates to assist in handling related complaints. Currently, about 290 private housing estates participate in the Scheme, handling an average of over 4 000 cases annually.

     The FEHD calls on all sectors to work together. Property management companies should repair and maintain building drainage systems regularly and remind residents to check and repair their air conditioners. Members of the public should check and maintain their air conditioners regularly and take immediate action if water dripping happens in order to prevent causing a nuisance. For more information, please refer to the leaflet on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/library/aircon/Pamphlet_water_dripping_from_air_conditioner.pdf).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region