WTO meeting will bring scores of events to HK
By Teddy Ng/Tonny Chan (HK Edition)
Updated: 2005-12-07 07:38

Koo said police had ruled out using water cannons in their security plan because they could cause injuries and were not suitable for the local environment. The overall risk of terrorist attacks in Hong Kong was still "medium", but individual arrangements were being made to protect delegates from countries that were subject to "higher risks".

Koo would not disclose any details, however, only saying they had been exchanging intelligence with foreign authorities and would step up surveillance and protective measures at the airport, throughout the public transport network, and across other essential infrastructure.

For soft targets such as hotels and bars frequented by overseas guests, Koo said they had also advised managers to be vigilant. Special briefing sessions had also been held on how their respective security teams could be enhanced.

China Daily earlier reported the police had issued a security guideline to hotels. At hotels where "sensitive" delegations will stay, the police will put up and man airport-style scanners to screen arriving guests and visitors, in addition to the civilian security provided by the hotels themselves.

Koo assured legislators that the police force had sufficient training to deal with the unlikely scenario of a terrorist attack. Immigration officers have also been told to be on the lookout for suspicious arrivals, according to Deputy Secretary for Security Cheung Siu-hing.

In a related development, the Labour Department yesterday asked employers to be lenient if their employees were unable to come to work due to traffic disruptions.

"If employees are late or cannot report for duty owing to traffic jams or protests, employers should be considerate and adopt a flexible approach," a spokesman said, cautioning that employers should neither deduct their wages nor dismiss them as a result.

The department has provided a telephone hotline - 2717 1771 - for work-related enquiries. The Transport Department has also set up a hotline at 1834567.