The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will step up its efforts in four areas, including collaboration with international partners, to fight against the resurgence of employment scams in Southeast Asian countries, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday.

Stressing that the SAR government attached great importance to the fraud cases, he said it will carry out a thorough and comprehensive investigation and enhance collaboration with other partners, including the law enforcement agencies in the relevant countries, to rescue residents falling victims to employment frauds.

“We will raise the outbound travel alert so that all members of the public will know which countries are involved in this illegal act. We have recently raised travel alert for southeastern Myanmar to red,” the CE told the media ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting.

The Security Bureau has published a lot of information on its website, including the modi operandi and regions with high-risk crimes, and it will be constantly updated, he added.

Ten more Hong Kong residents are still being held captive at scam farms, he said.

“Of the 28 people seeking the government’s assistance, 16 had been rescued before the taskforce set up by the Security Bureau went to Thailand. Since the team went to Thailand this month, two more people have been rescued,” Lee added.

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The SAR government will step up its education and publicity campaigns to alert the members of the public about the issue, he said, asking residents to stay vigilant as the modi operandi kept changing.

Regarding universities students falling victims to telecom scams, the CE said police and university authorities have strengthened their cooperation and information are being disseminated through various channels to make them aware of the modi operandi.

Trump’s policies on SAR

Asked about the impact of Donald Trump’s second US presidency on the HKSAR’s judiciary, the Hong Kong leader said judicial independence is the city’s cornerstone and political pressure should not be used to obstruct judicial impartiality.

“If there is any attempt to interfere with trials in Hong Kong, or officials or people who are involved in administering justice, it will not work,” he said, adding that judges made fair decisions in accordance to legal principles without interference.

Stressing that the HKSAR will safeguard the national security and its judicial system like other places, he said the city’s courts will upload justice and try all cases in a transparent and fair manner, including national security cases.

On the effect of Trump’s policies on the city’s economy, the CE emphasized that the SAR government always strengthened relations with different economies, including the United States.

“Both sides have shared many common interests. Cooperation will only create overall good for the people of Hong Kong and the people of the US,” he said, expressing his belief that economic cooperation could promote the HKSAR-US relations.

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Reiterating that mutual respect and understanding were important, he said the government will also prepare for the worst.

“We will ensure that the rights and interests of Hong Kong people and companies are protected,” he added.