MKsport Mr Tawee Sodsong (second right), on January 13, 2025. Photo: Website of HKSAR government" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-01-14/c490622e-4423-4b92-a30e-587fe6da3feb.jpeg" />

Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk (second left) and the dedicated task force are received by the Minister of Justice of Thailand, Mr Tawee Sodsong (second right), on January 13, 2025. Photo: Website of HKSAR government

After an incident involving Hong Kong residents suspected of being imprisoned in Southeast Asia to participate in illegal work, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the Security Bureau has dispatched a task force to Thailand to discuss with relevant authorities how to jointly investigate and assist Hong Kong residents in need of rescue, according to RTHK, one of Hong Kong's major broadcasters.

Hong Kong law enforcement had received 28 requests for help from residents believed to have been trapped in Southeast Asian countries and unable to leave since the second quarter of 2024, the Security Bureau said. Sixteen people had returned to the city so far. The task force aims to help bring back the rest residents lured to Southeast Asian countries and forced into illegal work, according to South China Morning Post.

Lee said that the HKSAR government attaches great importance to the 12 Hong Kong residents who were imprisoned in Southeast Asia and forced to engage in illegal work, and that the government will spare no effort in dealing with the issue. He also noted that Thai authorities value the visit of the task force from the Security Bureau, said the report.

On Tuesday morning, the task force, headed by Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip, engaged in discussions with the Inspector General of the Royal Thai Police Tatchai Pitaneelaboot and members from departments involved in crime prevention from the Thai police headquarters for over three hours, according to a Hong Kong-based media outlet. 

They then went to local tourist police bureaus to receive a briefing on their work and met with representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to learn about measures to protect tourists, said the report.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung emphasized on Monday that the ultimate goal of the HKSAR government is to assist all relevant residents to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible, as reported by Hong Kong media outlets.

The Royal Thai Police announced on Sunday that the country has established a Tourist Safety Operations Center (TCOC) to comprehensively coordinate police forces and tourism police across the nation and work together to create a systematic tourist safety management system.

A mobile application called Thailand Tourist Police has also been launched by the Royal Thai Police, allowing tourists to directly send messages, images, and their location to police as well as inquire about information, report emergencies, or seek assistance.  Additionally, the application is seamlessly integrated with an emergency hotline thereby providing 24-hour translation services in eight languages and supporting collaboration with the emergency response center to handle urgent incidents.

Thai authorities are taking this matter seriously and handling it comprehensively, said Lee, adding that they will consider all available methods in this regard, according to the report.

Global Times