Sponsored by the Lions Clubs International District 303 Hong Kong & Macao, the training course aims at improving communication and understanding between the police and ethnic minorities, in accordance with Yau Tsim District's operational target of enhancing police services to these groups. A total of four courses will be conducted, and each course will provide two hours of classroom instruction per week, over a period of 12 weeks.

A large gathering of guests attended the launching ceremony to lend support to the training course. Among them were the District Governor of Lions Clubs International District 303 Hong Kong & Macao, Mr Dannio Y K Shiu, President of Lions Club of Castle Peak, Mr Ho Tak-lam, Acting Consul-General of Kingdom of Nepal in Hong Kong, Mr Hem Lal Sharma Bhattaral, chairpersons from four Nepalese organisations and representatives from a non-governmental organisation, Christian Action.

Speaking of the training course, Yau Tsim District Commander Kevin Woods said the course followed the successful completion of an Urdu language training course in 2004. "We believe that once officers have the ability to say a few words in Nepali, their communication and contact with the local Nepalese community will be greatly improved. I cannot emphasize the importance of communication between the community and the police. Even an elementary understanding of Nepali will be of great benefit to local policing."

Yau Tsim District has been at the forefront in enhancing police services to the local Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese communities. In July 2002 it ran a project to improve communication, trust and mutual understanding, through regular liaison meetings with local community leaders, translation of police forms and report room signage into Urdu and Nepali, information booklets for frontline officers, and an Urdu language training course for selected officers.

The district's project team to enhance police services to the ethnic minorities is headed by Tsim Sha Tsui Divisional Commander Mark Foster, with the Police Community Relations Office playing a coordination role. The services that are being provided are training in Cantonese for ethnic minority children, in conjunction with the Christian Action and other non-governmental organisations to provide integrated services to the ethnic minorities, and display of anti-crime posters at places frequented by the minority groups, like the Kowloon Park and King George V Park.

The district's other initiatives targeting the ethnic minorities include establishing partnership with other government departments and NGOs to promote integrated services, expanding Junior Police Call membership and sports for ethnic minority children, and organising anti-crime seminars, visits to police stations, and an anti-crime poster design competition.

The Nepali training course has gained a lot of community support