Following is the speech delivered by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Lo Wai-chung, at the Force Remembrance Day today (November 4):

     Colleagues and guests, we are here today to honour all members of the Hong Kong Police Force, both Regular and Auxiliary, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the community of Hong Kong. This solemn ceremony is also a fitting tribute to the dedication to duty and fortitude of all members of staff who have served in the Force over the past 172 years.

     Since the founding of the Hong Kong Police Force in 1844, members of the Force have faced, and continue to face, dangers in the course of our duties. Regardless of these dangers, we have always put the people of Hong Kong first in our determination to ensure the safety and stability of our society. In doing so, members of the Force have paid the ultimate price, and it is in memory of their sacrifices that we are gathered in remembrance today.

     In this ceremony, we are also joined by members of the Hong Kong Police Old Comrades Association and the Royal Hong Kong Police Association.  Like the many who came before them, they represent the finest traditions of service to the community for which the Force is both famed and justifiably proud – traditions which continue today and are passed on from generation to generation.

     These are traditions which make the Hong Kong Police Force one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world and it is a fitting tribute to those who have lost their lives that these traditions remain at the core of our values today.

     To all of you present here today, may I ask that you remain standing, and following the “Last Post” join with me in observing a two-minute silence in memory of all those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Ends/Friday, November 4, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:00

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