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Following is a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, to a question by the Hon Cheng Kar-foo in the Legislative Council today (June 3):
Question:
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the June 4th massacre. I have learnt that Mr Yang Jianli and Mr Wang Dan, who are democracy activists, as well as Mr Jen Galschiot, who is a sculptor from Denmark, wish to come to Hong Kong to participate in the memorial activities concerned, but they have all been refused entry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) given that during the period approaching June 4th each year in the past, a number of democracy activists had been refused entry to participate in the memorial activities concerned, and each time the authorities indicated that they had processed the cases according to the established procedures, of the details of such procedures;
(b) whether it has previously exchanged information on democracy activists with the mainland security authorities and other government departments for processing applications for entry to Hong Kong by these people; and
(c) whether there is a blacklist of democracy activists who are barred from entry?
Reply:
President,
(a) Section 4 of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) provides that officers of the Immigration Department (ImmD) may examine any visitor on his arrival in Hong Kong. In most cases, the examinations are conducted at immigration counters. Depending on individual circumstances, ImmD officers may conduct secondary examinations in interview rooms. During the examination, the ImmD officer will consider whether the visitor meets normal immigration requirements, such as whether he possesses a valid travel document; whether he has the arrangements and facilities to return to his place of domicile; whether he has any adverse records; his purpose of visit, etc. Under section 11 of the Immigration Ordinance, the officer of the ImmD may, on the examination of a visitor, allow or refuse his entry into Hong Kong.
(b) Like other immigration authorities elsewhere, ImmD has the responsibility to uphold effective immigration control in accordance with the law. ImmD also gathers information and intelligence from other immigration authorities and law enforcement agencies to assist in the processing of entry applications and considering whether to allow entry in light of the relevant information and the individual circumstances of each case.
(c) ImmD does not have a so-called "blacklist" of persons not allowed to enter Hong Kong. In processing each entry application, an ImmD officer acts in accordance with the law and the prevailing policy, taking into account all relevant factors and the individual circumstances of each visitor in deciding whether to allow or refuse entry.
Ends/Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:53
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