************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (April 28):
Question:
Wong Fuk-wing (Wong), a Hong Kong resident, sacrificed his life when trying to save others during the earthquake in Yushu County in Qinghai. He was participating in voluntary work in an orphanage in Yushu County when the quake struck. Wong had already escaped and could have survived the calamity, but after learning that some teachers and students did not escape in time and were trapped under the fallen rubble, he braved the danger and returned immediately to the orphanage to rescue them. Unfortunately, aftershocks followed and some of the shaky houses eventually collapsed. The teachers and students rescued from the orphanage by Wong suffered only minor injuries, but he was buried alive and lost his life. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it will make special arrangements for Wong's funeral apart from the plan to posthumously award him the Medal for Bravery (Gold);
(b) how it will advocate to the public Wong's spirit of selflessness, universal love, patriotism and self-sacrifice, e.g. whether consideration will be given to naming a building after Wong in his memory; and
(c) whether it will consider setting up a volunteers' fund to encourage and support the services and work carried out on the Mainland by Hong Kong volunteers such as Wong?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to the three parts of the question is set out below:
(a) Hong Kong volunteer Mr Wong Fuk-wing's sacrifice of his life when trying to save others during the earthquake in Yushu County in Qinghai has reflected the greatness of love and the spirit of selflessness. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has offered its condolences over his death and provided full assistance to his family. On April 18, the Government received Mr Wong's hearse at a solemn ceremony at Shenzhen Bay control point and the coffin was draped with a HKSAR flag. Mr Wong's family has arranged his funeral to be held on May 6. Some sessions of the funeral will be opened to the public for paying tribute to Mr Wong. The Government will provide assistance (such as crowd control) according to the wishes of Mr Wong's family. In addition, as Mr Wong's family wish to have his body buried in Cape Collinson Chinese Permanent Cemetery, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) and the Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries are helping the family to finalise the relevant arrangements.
(b) The Government has been working with the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE) on the promotion of positive core civic values to the public. The act of Mr Wong has fully demonstrated his spirit of selflessness, universal love, patriotism and self-sacrifice. The HAB will, in collaboration with the CPCE, advocate Mr Wong's spirit of caring for others through different channels, for examples production of documentaries, publications and sponsorship of volunteers programmes. Moreover, the Education Bureau has made use of current affairs and the virtuous acts of people proactively as the materials for moral education. Topics which include SARS heroes, Wenchuan earthquake and the tsunami in South Asia have been used for developing teaching and learning materials to help students build up values like caring for others, commitment and making contribution to the country. The story of Mr Wong can provide excellent materials for such work.
(c) The Government has promoted volunteerism through various policy bureaux and government departments. The Agency for Volunteer Service encourages and supports volunteer work through providing volunteer work opportunities and relevant training courses to volunteers. The Social Welfare Department also focuses on student and youth, corporations, community organisations and promotes volunteerism in Hong Kong. In addition, the Mainland Offices of the HKSAR Government will, having regard to specific circumstances and requests, provide assistance and support to Hong Kong residents engaging in volunteer work in the Mainland as far as possible (such as assisting them in liaising with local government authorities). As the Government has encouraged and supported volunteer work through various means as stated above, it has no plan to set up a volunteers' fund at the moment. The Government will continue to devote resources and work closely with non-government organisations, the business sector and community organisations to promote and support various types of volunteer work.
Ends/Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:23
NNNN
