A total of 62 members of the Force Media Liaison Cadre (FMLC) from six Regions attended the inauguration ceremony of FMLC at the Police Headquarters on June 21, with Director of Operations (D OPS) Lau Yip-shing as an officiating guest.

Mr Lau said he was delighted to present appointment letters to FMLC members who were entrusted with this important task. He encouraged members to devote themselves to engage the media, establish a good relationship with them and promote a positive image of the Force.

Furthermore, Mr Lau took the opportunity to express appreciation to FMLC for their efforts in facilitating media coverage of the visit of the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Zhang Dejiang, to Hong Kong in May. He highlighted the point that FMLC had balanced security concerns and the needs of the media in reporting the event.

One of the appointed FMLC members was Senior Inspector of Complaints Against Police Office Marin Hirunpongsun. She served as a reporter and news anchor before joining the Force. With her media exposure, she was invited to take part in the regional media liaison team in 2011.

Ms Hirunpongsun understands media needs and makes appropriate media arrangement by, for example, setting up a designated press area and taking into account photographers' concerns. She would share her experience with teammates to enable them to evaluate public events from another perspective so as to balance security considerations and media concerns.

FMLC officially became a Volunteer Secondary Duty Cadre from last December. In March this year, all members attended a four-day training course covering lectures on media ecology, negotiation skills and conflict management skills, as well as training on media handling and team building activities.