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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose SK Lee, at a media session at the lobby of the West Wing of the Central Government Offices after the Fight Crime Committee meeting this afternoon (July 12):
Secretary for Security: The Fight Crime Committee has discussed the overall crime situation this afternoon. By and large, the crime statistics increased by as much as 3.9 per cent. The number of violent crime also increased by 4.8 per cent. Those crimes that registered an increase include, for example, miscellaneous thefts, wounding, deception, serious drug offences. For those crimes that registered a decrease in number include, for example, robbery, burglary and stolen cars. By and large the crime situation in Hong Kong is stable, but we also note that the youth drug abuse situation in Hong Kong has worsened and we are very concerned. We will work together with our teachers, our social workers, and non-government organisations to step up our education programme, telling our young people that taking drugs is a very very bad thing, and it will affect their health, whether their physical health or mental health. The Police and Customs will step up enforcement actions and try to prevent the importation of drugs. And the Police will step up enforcement actions in some vice-spots and to discourage people from taking drugs.
Question: There has been a massive increase in ecstasy-type tablets that have been seized. Is there any evidence that these are produced in Hong Kong? What measures have you got to address the problem of young people ......?
Secretary for Security: There is no evidence at all that these kinds of drugs are manufactured in Hong Kong. Obviously they are imported into Hong Kong. According to our statistics, the two most popular drugs taken by young people are ketamine and ecstasy. We have produced some APIs (announcements in the public interest), focusing on young people. The message is that these kinds of drugs -- ketamine and ecstasy -- in fact, are very harmful to the takers' health. It will affect their health permanently. So we want this kind of message to go out. And we are also working closely with our teachers and social workers, educating them how to identify drug takers at an early stage so that we can take early intervention measures.
Question: ...... any preferential treatment to Leung Kwok-hung in a raid ......?
Secretary for Security: In respect of that incident, I don't have any comment on that. I know that the Police are now conducting an enquiry internally. All I can say is that when the Police mount an operation at one of these discotheques or karaokes, they have a clear objective in mind. First, whether that institution has a proper licence. Second, whether there are underage children working in that sort of institutions, and third, whether there are any drug-related offences. So they have a clear purpose to mount operations. And of course in mounting this kind of operations, they have other considerations in mind, that is not to inconvenience other law-abiding people. So if there is evidence that normal customers are not committing any offences, I don't think they have any reasons to detain them. The Police are conducting an enquiry.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, July 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:35
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