Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that the lifesaving services at Golden Beach in Tuen Mun District resumed today (June 11). The lifesaving services at the beach were suspended earlier due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty.
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session this morning (June 11):
Reporter: Mrs Lam, because people are saying that they are only going on strike or boycotting class, they are not taking any violent actions. So what do you think of the possible impact? Are you worried about that? And what do you make out of the fact that people have to take these actions simply because the Government is refusing to listen to their calls? And in regard to the extra safeguards not being written into the law, what happen if other jurisdictions simply violate these so-called promises? Would the Government do anything or maybe like stop extraditing to these jurisdictions in the future? And at this point, do you think your Government still has credibility or the trust of the people?
Chief Executive: First of all, I would not agree that we have not listened. As I said repeatedly over this exercise, we have been listening attentively to views expressed to us or in the public domain, and that’s why when we started off to do this exercise based on over 20 years of experience of implementing the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance (FOO), we felt and it was also reaffirmed to us by some of our counterparties that the FOO contains sufficient procedural and legal safeguards to deal with request for extradition. But because we have listened so attentively, we decided that we need to make further amendments to the proposals, so we have introduced two sets of amendments – one before the introduction of the bill and one after the introduction of the bill, especially for the six measures introduced after the presentation of the bill which I have just elaborated.
The one concerning human rights safeguards is a very important one because if you understand the process of dealing with this extradition or surrender of fugitive offenders request from a requesting party, the first step requires the Chief Executive to trigger the process by giving a certificate. What we are now saying is that before the Chief Executive triggers that process, that is to accept the requesting party’s request to surrender the fugitive offender, we will require the requesting party to undertake to guarantee a long list of human rights protections, and these human rights protections resemble very closely the international standards and the guarantees under the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). This is a very practical package that has struck the necessary balance between the protection of human rights, the allaying of public anxieties and concerns, and also the objective which I need not repeat – it is a very important objective to deal with such offenders to avoid Hong Kong becoming a haven for fugitives and also to discharge our international obligation.
You asked if any of these guarantees are not met, what would happen. First of all, I want to draw your attention to the letter from the Secretary for Security to the LegCo President. Apart from these human rights safeguards, there is an additional measure which elaborates that the final authority to surrender or not to surrender rests with the Chief Executive. In other words, when the court agrees to surrender, then the Chief Executive could still be the gatekeeper of deciding not to surrender a fugitive offender taking into account several factors – the changing circumstances, the humanitarian grounds and so on. That is the moment that the Chief Executive could still re-examine the whole case and the changing circumstances to decide. But the important thing is, if the court decides not to surrender, even the Chief Executive could not overrule the court. To say that because somebody wants this offender and I will surrender – that is not possible, because if that’s possible, that means that the Chief Executive is above the law or totally disregarding the law, and that is something no Chief Executive could do in a highly civilised, rule of law society like Hong Kong. Thank you very much.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (June 12).
The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.
Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.
The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.
Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 11) that due to inclement weather, the red flag has been hoisted at Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
The summer festival International Arts Carnival (IAC) will open this July with the Asia premiere of "The Heart of Robin Hood" by Vesturport Theatre from Iceland in collaboration with UK playwright David Farr. Giving an athletic modern twist to the classic English folk story of a warm-hearted robber, the show to be performed at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre blends acrobatics, elements of romantic comedy and live music.
The remarkable technical wizardry behind the stage set instantly transforms a danger-filled forest into a high-security castle. Performers spin, fly, slide, climb and dive with the help of a huge sloping wall, ropes and an onstage pool to engage in stunning fights. Live music by Icelandic singer Salka Sól and her musicians adds a pleasant ambience to the performance. Premiered to great acclaim by the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK in 2011, the show has gone on to have highly popular tours of Canada and the US.
Vesturport Theatre was founded in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 2001 and has quickly established itself as one of Iceland's most inventive award-winning theatre and film companies. It soon gained a strong international reputation, and has been hailed as "amongst the world's most dazzling troupes" by the Guardian in the UK. In 2011, Vesturport received the prestigious Europe Theatre Prize.
"The Heart of Robin Hood", performed in English with Chinese surtitles, will be held at 7.30pm from July 5 to 7, and at 2.30pm on July 6 and 7 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Tickets priced at $180, $280, $380, $480 and $580 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk).
For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.hkiac.gov.hk/2019/en/opening.html.
The IAC, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will run from July 5 to August 18.　
