5-
the establishment of the AMS Cadet Corps and the CAS Cadet Corps.
The Bills are expected to be introduced into the Legislative Council on April 9
this year.
End
Response to report on correctional institutions
In response to press enquiries on the preliminary findings released by Sir Stephen Tumim and Ms Joanne Mariner of the Human Rights Monitor and Human Rights Watch/Asia after visiting some of Hong Kong's correctional institutions, a Government spokesman said today (Friday) that the authorities look forward to studying their full report when it is available.
"Their views and recommendations will be considered carefully and followed up where appropriate," he said.
The spokesman said that the Government was pleased that Sir Stephen had commended the tidiness, cleanliness, and discipline of our correctional institutions and the professionalism of our correctional services staff.
"However, we feel there should be no room for complacency," he said.
On the criticisms of conditions in the High Island Detention Centre for Vietnamese migrants (VMs), the spokesman pointed out that VM detention centres were fundamentally different from prisons.
"The VMs in the camp enjoy more freedom than prisoners. They have more room to move about and are not subject to the same standards of discipline as prisoners.
"Unlike prisoners, the VM families live together in the camp and there are many young children among them. But we note Sir Stephen's and Ms Mariner's comments on the hygiene conditions in the camp, and we will look into this issue. Our aim is to provide a decent and humane living environment, while recognising that conditions in the camps will always be fairly basic."