Chief Secretary John Lee today said it is the duty of law enforcement departments to take action against people who contravene the law and called on citizens to help develop Hong Kong into a law-abiding city.

Responding to media questions about Police’s arrest of four University of Hong Kong students on suspicion of advocating terrorism, Mr Lee explained the principle behind the operation.

“It is important that we Hong Kong people continue to develop a law-abiding culture, and that is the minimum attitude that a citizen should have in order to ensure that we have a lovely city to live in.

“It is a clear policy of the Government that whoever contravenes the law, then law enforcement departments must act and take action accordingly.”

He emphasised that in order to develop a law-abiding culture in Hong Kong, it is paramount for everyone to exercise their rights and freedoms within the law.

“It is important that we realise that when we do what we want, it has to be within the confines of the law. If we comply with the law, then everybody can go about their duties as freely and as comfortably as they may wish.

“But it is important (that) we all build such a society. So it is important that we develop the law-abiding culture which at some stage has been destroyed by the violence since 2019.

“At this time, when we have to rectify the incorrectness, we must ensure that this principle of being a law-abiding citizen is a fundamental cornerstone for a city to be stable and (to) prosper.”