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This year marks the 15th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law, which was adopted on April 4, 1990 by the Seventh National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.

The Constitutional Affairs Bureau (CAB) has reserved a total of $5 million in this year's budget for organising promotional activities, including recurrent expenditure of $1.25 million and a special non-recurrent allocation of $3.75 million, to celebrate the anniversary.

The Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, said this at a student flag-raising ceremony this (April 3) morning. The ceremony held at the Aldrich Bay Government Primary School attracted the participation of about 400 students, teachers and parents from various schools.

The flag-raising ceremony jointly organised by the CAB and the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards kicked off a series of celebratory events to be organised by the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee, relevant government bureaux and departments and community organisations in the coming months.

On the school front, the CAB and the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) are inviting secondary schools to take part in the "Basic Law Games Booth Design Competition".

The final round will be held on May 28 as part of a carnival for celebrating the 15th anniversary. Jointly organised by the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and a number of government departments, apart from games booths, the carnival will also feature stage performances and exhibitions. RTHK will produce a radio and TV special on the carnival highlights.

Moreover, the EMB will continue with its Celebrity Talks Series on National Education and Basic Law Education.

The Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Basic Law of Hong Kong will hold a seminar on April 9. Speakers include renowned academics and legal professionals.

There will be a roving exhibition on the drafting and implementation of the Basic Law at shopping malls, community venues and major public libraries in 18 districts from May.

The Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education will also hold an exhibition on the Basic Law at its Civic Education Resource Centre at Wan Chai in April and May.

Business organisations will jointly hold a series of Basic Law promotional activities in June including quizzes, performances and a speaking contest.

A new series of television programmes on the Basic Law produced by RTHK - the "Basic Law Magazine" will be broadcast on ATV's Home Channel on six consecutive Sundays starting from today. RTHK will also broadcast Basic Law quizzes on its channel between April and May.

Activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law from April to June are set out at the annex.

(Please also refer to SCA's speech delivered at the student flag-raising ceremony this morning.)

Annex

Activities to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law

(April - June, 2005)

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1. Carnival

The "15th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law Carnival", organised by the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and a number of government policy bureaux and departments, will be held at Kowloon Park on Saturday, May 28. Highlights of the carnival are stage performances, game booths and a Basic Law exhibition. The finalists of the Inter-school Basic Law Games Booth Design Competition, jointly organised by the Constitutional Affairs Bureau and the Education and Manpower Bureau, will demonstrate their creativity and design interesting games to promote the Basic Law. The Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) will produce a special radio and television programme on the carnival.

2. Theme song

A new Basic Law theme song will be launched to tie in with the various celebratory activities to mark the 15th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law.

3. Seminars

The Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Basic Law of Hong Kong will hold the "15th Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Basic Law Seminar" at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, April 9. Renowned academics and legal professionals will speak at the seminar. For enquiries, please call 2519 3663.

The Education and Manpower Bureau will organise the "Celebrity Talks Series on National Education and Basic Law Education" between February and May this year. Celebrities from various sectors will be invited to exchange views with students on national development and the Basic Law.

The Bureau will also invite renowned Mainland scholars to address secondary school students, and primary and secondary school teachers in May to enhance their understanding of the Basic Law and the concept of "One Country, Two Systems".

The Civil Service Bureau will organise a number of thematic seminars on the Basic Law for civil servants in the next few months.

4. Bulletin

The 7th issue of the Basic Law Bulletin, jointly produced by the Civil Service Bureau, Department of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Bureau, was published in March. Featured in this issue is a review of the Basic Law's implementation in the past seven years. The Bulletin is available for collection at District Offices and has been uploaded on the website of the Department of Justice (http://www.doj.gov.hk/eng/public/pub20030002.htm).

5. TV and radio programmes

A series of television programmes on the Basic Law produced by RTHK will be broadcast on ATV's Home Channel on six consecutive Sundays starting from April 3. The Constitutional Affairs Bureau will sponsor RTHK to broadcast a series of Basic Law quizzes on its radio channel between April and May.

6. Teleline stories

The Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE) will release a new series of teleline stories between April and May, among which is "the Basic Law of Class Committee". Stories can be listened to at 2151 9234. The stories will be adapted into animated video clips for uploading onto CPCE's website (http://www.cpce.gov.hk).

7. Exhibition and publications

A roving exhibition covering the history, drafting, consultations and implementation of the Basic Law will be held at shopping malls, community venues and major public libraries in 18 districts starting from May. The exhibition is co-organised by the Constitutional Affairs Bureau and the Home Affairs Department.

The Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE) will hold an exhibition on the Basic Law at the Civic Education Resource Centre in Wan Chai between April and May. The CPCE will also carry articles on the Basic Law in two publications that it sponsors - the youth magazine "Kidults" and "Match Man", a parent-child magazine, to enhance the understanding of the Basic Law among young readers and parents. Relevant materials will be uploaded onto CPCE's website (http://www.cpce.gov.hk).

8. Flag-raising ceremony and flag-raising training for students

The Education and Manpower Bureau will arrange for students to attend a flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in April. The bureau will also organise seminars and flag-raising training classes for students, to strengthen their understanding of the Basic Law, the national flag and the regional flag.

9. National education activities

The Education and Manpower Bureau organised the "National Education Course" in March for senior secondary students. The course aims to provide an opportunity for students to visit the Mainland and study the history and current development of the motherland, and to enhance their understanding of the Basic Law and the principle of "One Country, Two Systems".

The students have to complete and submit work sheets and group project reports by the end of May. They will also participate in a seminar to share what they have learnt from the visit.

10. Civil service couplets competition

The Civil Service Bureau has organised the "Civil Service Basic Law Couplets Competition" and the winning entries will be used to promote the Basic Law.

11. Business sector promotional activities

A number of business organisations will jointly organise a series of Basic Law promotional activities in June. These activities include quizzes, performances and a speaking contest.

12. Lyrics and singing contest

The Joint Committee for the Promotion of the Basic Law of Hong Kong will organise the "Singing to the Tunes of the Basic Law -  Singing and Lyrics Contest" in May. Contestants are required to select a popular song, rewrite its lyrics to promote the Basic Law and submit them to the organiser. Contestants will sing the lyrics at the grand final, which will be broadcast on television. The contest is open to everyone. For more information, please call 2519 3663.

Ends/Sunday, April 3, 2005

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