Security secretary denies having a blacklist

Security secretary denies having a blacklist

The Immigration Services have legal powers to assess each visitor's qualifications for entry, the same as their counterparts around the world, Secretary for Security, Cheong Kuoc Va said yesterday.

Regarding the recent barring of certain Hong Kong residents, Cheong Kuoc Va explained that the police assess the entry qualifications of visitors individually, whatever their origin, taking into account the validity of their identification documents and the purpose of the visits, and may refuse to allow entry to those who don't meet legal requirements.

The secretary stressed that refusal to allow an entry is an administrative decision, according to the law, and denied the existence of an immigration blacklist.

The Collective Threats Alert and Warning System, published yesterday by the Government Printing Bureau, provides regulations and defines and sets out procedures for the activation of a common alert system and state-of-emergency warning levels for civil protection. This information is necessary for making informed decisions at different levels of government, in public and private sector and among the general population.

According to the Collective Threats Alert and Warning System, there are five different alert levels, organised by colour, grading from red, or extremely severe, to green, meaning normal level.

“Collective threats” means unexpected events that cause or are likely to cause human casualties or material damage, producing negative effects on the social fabric, and capable of jeopardising public safety or creating an environmental state of emergency.

The secretary also officiated in the graduation and swearing-in ceremony of the eighth Fire Service Officers’ training program at the Academy of Public Security Forces in Coloane yesterday.

Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Macau Daily Times