Kowloon West Regional Commander (RC KW) Lo Yik-kee has spent a day visiting the Nepalese, Pakistani and Indian communities in Yau Tsim District in an effort to foster engagement and dialogue with ethnic minority community leaders, local community members and working partners from Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The main aim of the visit was pursuing the Force policing priority of seeking engagement and co-operation with non-ethnic Chinese communities for the fight against crime, as advocated by the Commissioner in his recent addresses to the International Islamic Society and Eighth Annual Regional Security Conference.

To know more about the life of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, Mr Lo, accompanied by Yau Tsim District Commander Kevin Woods, toured four landmarks related to the ethnic minorities in Yau Tsim District. The landmarks included a cluster of Nepalese shops and a primary school for ethnic minority children in Yaumatei, as well as the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre and a NGO Service Centre in Chungking Mansions, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Mr Lo first toured the Nepalese stores in Nanking Street, Jordan, where he met the shop owners and a Nepalese organisation representative, Mr Hum B Gurung, who introduced the life of local Nepalese residents and the shop owners' enterprising spirit. The Nepalese community thanked officers of Yau Tsim District for enhancing services to ethnic minorities. As a gesture of their support to the police, they have installed Crime Information Forms distribution boxes at two Nepalese stores.

Mr Lo's next stop was a Portuguese Community School in Cox's Road, Jordan, for ethnic minority children, where the school principal, Mrs Man Sze-wing, briefed Mr Lo on a special initiation programme for ethnic minority children, who are mainly Nepalese and Indian. Touring a class teaching Cantonese, he was impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of Mrs Man and her staff in helping ethnic minority children integrate into the community. Mrs Man took the opportunity to thank Yau Tsim District for arranging regular school talks and police station visits for her ethnic minority students.

Mr Lo went on to call at the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre, where he was briefed on the life and religion of the local Muslim community by Pakistani ethnic minority leaders, including religious leader Mr Muhammad Arshad, Chief Imam of Kowloon Mosque, and Captain Saleem Ahmed Shahzada, President of the Pakistan Association. Mr Lo was delighted to meet the leaders in person and learn about their advocacy of peace and harmony among local Muslims. He also took the opportunity to thank the leaders for their co-operation and support to the police.

Visit to service centre

Mr Lo's last stop was the Christian Action Service Centre in Chungking Mansions, which is a NGO dedicated to providing integrated services to the ethnic minorities in Yau Tsim Mong district. Mr Lo met the Centre Director, Mrs Cheung Ang Siew Mei, and her staff to learn more about their services to ethnic minorities under a project on multi-cultural mutual care. Following a discussion on helping ethnic minorities integrate into the community, Mr Lo was pleased that Yau Tsim District has established a partnership with the Centre in organising Cantonese training classes and visits to police stations for ethnic minority children.

Said Mr Lo after his visit: "It's a pleasure for me to have met so many friends from the ethnic minority communities. The personal contacts and direct communication with ethnic minority community leaders and NGOs will bode well for the Force Working Group on Non-ethnic Chinese in mapping out strategic issues and directions for Regions and Formations to follow."

Mr Lo formed the working group recently, following an increasing recognition of the need to address the policing issues involving non-ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong. The working group comprises representatives from Regions and relevant Major Formations.