FBI praises Hong Kong Law Enforcement
The Hong Kong government and Hong Kong's law-enforcement community have been 'remarkable partners' in the fight against international organised crime and terrorism, the Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr Robert Mueller, said today (April 22).
Speaking at an international law-enforcement conference in Hong Kong,
he said the United States' relationships with law-enforcement partners
overseas had never been more important, due to emerging threats from Al
Qaeda and other terrorist organisations.
"Crime and terrorism have gone global. The threats we face today
have taken an increasingly international dimension, from telemarketing
fraud and identity theft to computer viruses and corporate espionage to
the trafficking of drugs, weapons and human beings," Mr Mueller said.
"Given Hong Kong's strategic location and its status as a major international
centre of trade and finance, our relationships here are among our most
important in the world.
"They are also among the most successful, thanks to Hong Kong's
elite law-enforcement agencies. The citizens of Hong Kong are protected
and served by one of the finest police departments in the world. Hong
Kong's law-enforcement officers are honest, sophisticated and highly professional,
and have made this one of the world's safest cities."
Mr Mueller said Hong Kong and the US shared a long history of learning
and working together. The FBI has been training with partners in the Hong
Kong Police Force since 1969, when the FBI National Academy accepted its
first members from Hong Kong.
Since then, more than 60 Hong Kong law-enforcement officials have graduated
from the Academy, while 18 other law-enforcement officials from Hong Kong
and Macau have graduated from the International Law Enforcement Academy
in Bangkok.
Earlier today, the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose Lee, had a meeting
with Mr Mueller, during which they discussed mutual co-operation and the
sharing of intelligence and information on anti-crime investigations and
anti-terrorist activities.
Mr Lee said he briefed the FBI Director on the current law and order situation in Hong Kong and gave an assessment on the threat of terrorist attack on Hong Kong.
"Our assessment is that the possibility of Hong Kong under a terrorist attack is moderate. But we can't be complacent," he said.
Mr Lee said Mr Mueller was particularly concerned about maritime terrorism and he told him the government was now proposing legislation to put into force the United Nations Security Council Order 1373 to counter this and to freeze the non-fund assets of terrorists.
Mr Lee hoped this legislation could be passed within the current Legislative Council session.
Ends/Thursday, April 22, 2004
