Today (April 15) marks the 10th National Security Education Day. The Security Bureau (SB) and its disciplined services and auxiliary services, together with other parties, held various activities including a flag-raising ceremony by disciplined services, the finals and award presentation ceremony of the Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge, and the launching ceremony of the new national security comic book Andy and Security Bear, with a view to creating an engaging atmosphere for safeguarding national security and enhancing public awareness of safeguarding national security.

     The SB and its disciplined services jointly held a flag-raising ceremony at the Hong Kong Police College this morning. The ceremony started with a music performance by the Police Band, followed by a march-in of the disciplined services ceremonial guard. The Police flag party then marched into the venue and conducted the flag-raising ceremony with the playing and singing of the national anthem. Officiating at the ceremony, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said that the flag-raising ceremony instils passion and loyalty towards the country and the people, as well as deepens the understanding of the responsibility and mission to safeguard national security. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will continue to leverage the strengths of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance to build a strong line of defence to maintain security and stability in the HKSAR, and to provide solid institutional safeguards to promote good governance.

     After the flag-raising ceremony, Mr Chan officiated at the Safeguarding National Security Cup awards presentation ceremony to commend the contestants of the SB, disciplined services and auxiliary services for holding sports competitions, which showcased their vitality and unity to inject impetus to the promotion of safeguarding national security.

     In the afternoon, the finals and the award presentation ceremony of the Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge 2024/25, jointly organised by the Department of Justice, the SB, the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation, were held at a shopping mall for the first time to allow more students, teachers, parents and members of the public to participate. This year, an English section was also set up for the first time for non-Chinese speaking secondary school students. The Challenge has attracted more than 126 000 students from 610 primary and secondary schools, representing an increase of over 20 per cent in the number of participants compared to last year.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said in a video speech that June 30 this year marks the fifth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in the HKSAR. Over the coming months, the Government will hold a series of activities to deepen public understanding of the pivotal role the legal framework plays in safeguarding national security as Hong Kong's anchor of stability. Mr Lee emphasised that safeguarding national security is a constitutional duty of the HKSAR and a shared obligation of every Hong Kong citizen. He encouraged students to become guardians of national security by integrating the knowledge they gained about national security through the competitions into their daily lives and sharing it with their family and friends.

     Also officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in March last year has enhanced local legislation for safeguarding national security. It complements and integrates seamlessly with the Hong Kong National Security Law, collectively forming a robust legal framework to safeguard national security in the HKSAR. Mr Lam said he was delighted at the enthusiastic response to the competitions and encouraged young people to continue embracing safeguarding national security as their personal responsibility and to integrate into the country's development.

     Highlights of the finals and award presentation ceremony of the Challenge will be broadcast at 10.30pm tonight and April 20 on HOY Infotainment.

     Next, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, and the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, jointly officiated at the launch ceremony of the new national security comic book Andy and Security Bear. Produced by SB members, the comic series was published online as part of the Hong Kong National Security Law virtual exhibition from July last year and was well received for its charming characters and engaging storylines. The SB has brought the online stories to print and distributed the first batch to over 2 000 schools and public libraries in Hong Kong by the end of March. At the ceremony, Mr Tang and Dr Choi presented the comic books to the principal representatives of secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens. A souvenir was also presented to a sponsor in recognition of their support for national security education and promotional efforts.

     To mark National Security Education Day, the disciplined services and auxiliary forces under the SB hold open days on various weekends and public holidays this month. These events feature a range of activities, including Chinese-style foot drill demonstrations, rescue demonstrations, displays of firearms and equipment and game booths, allowing members of the public to learn more about the work and achievements of the disciplined and auxiliary services in safeguarding national security.

     The SB will continue to collaborate with other bureaux and departments to strive to safeguard national security and protect Hong Kong, including enhancing the public's ability to distinguish right from wrong and their law-abiding and national awareness through various promotional and educational initiatives.

Ends/Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:30

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