HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said there was room for improving the mechanism to contain student suicides while highlighting the government’s three-tier efforts in the wake of three instances recorded barely days into the news school year.

“(Student suicide) is something no one wants to see,” the chief executive told reporters ahead of the Executive Council meeting, saying students’ need for empathy and understanding was paramount.  

He said the mechanism relied on early school-based identification and intervention at the first tier, assistance from social workers and other professionals outside schools at the second, and psychiatric treatment at the third. Lee emphasized the need to keep the mechanism “up and running” to ensure effectiveness.

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“Students under pressure are inclined to keep their problems to themselves,” the CE pointed out, adding that the government will pour more resources into character building at schools and hold more awareness events for parents.

Exploitation of imported labor

Responding to questions about complaints from imported workers about wage exploitation, the CE made it clear that both local and migrant workers were protected by labor laws. He iterated that any violation of the city’s Employment Ordinance will not be tolerated and will be dealt in accordance with the law.

It was alleged that employment agents authorized to bring in non-local workers had threatened to fire workers after taking out a portion of their wages, and that some workers had been charged extra fees and made to work without pay.

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Lee said he was deeply concerned and that a cross-departmental team comprising law enforcement and Labour Department representatives was investigating the matter. 

Lee pointed out that the labor import policy gave priority to local employment and that the wages of any foreign worker could not be lower than the industry median in order to ensure there would be no cheap labor.

“We have to balance between protection of local labor and ensuring that we have enough workers to support our economic development, as well as the running of businesses ...” the CE said.