SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ)

S E C R E T HONG KONG 000373 NOFORN DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/ITA & DS/IP/EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2019 TAGS: ASEC HK PTER SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ) - SPRING 2009 REF: STATE 13023 Classified By: REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER VINCENT GRAHAM, REASON 1.4(g) ¶1. (SBU) The following responses are keyed to reftel and have been cleared by Hong Kong's Core Emergency Action Committee: -------------- POLITICAL VIOLENCE -------------- ¶I. (SBU) Demonstrations ¶A. Yes. There are approximately 139,000 Filipinos employed in Hong Kong. Many of the workers can be easily mobilized by church groups and Filipino social organizations to demonstrate against the U.S. Consulate General. Hong Kong also has a sizeable Muslim community that has protested at the Consulate General as well. i. Yes. There were a series of protests at the Consulate General in January 2009 by Muslim and student groups over perceived U.S. support of Israel during the conflict in Gaza. (Reported in Hong Kong 00052, 00070, 00126, 00184) ii. Yes. In the rear of the U.S. Consulate General near Garden Road. (See above) iii. Approximately 30 participants. iv. Most demonstrations in the past few years have been triggered by U.S. policy initiatives. ¶B. Demonstrations are generally peaceful. i. N/A ii. N/A ¶C. Yes. The U.S. Consulate General is located in close proximity to the Chief Executive's residence and the Hong Kong Government House. Both have designated protest areas that are the scene of weekly protests, usually involving domestic issues. Approximately six Falun Gong members hold a daily vigil against the People's Republic of China on Battery Path, which is located directly behind Government House. i. Yes. See above. ii. Approximately 50-100 participants. iii. Peaceful. iv. No. The last demonstration which resulted in damage to USG property was during the WTO Ministerial Conference in ¶2005. II. (U) Macro Conflict Demonstrations ¶A. No ¶B. N/A ¶C. N/A ¶D. N/A III. (S/NF) Host Nation Capabilities ¶A. Yes. Hong Kong has one of the most professional and well-trained police forces in Asia. The Hong Kong Police Force(HKPF) regularly cooperates with U.S. Law Enforcement efforts and they enthusiastically participate in USG sponsored training programs. ¶B. Yes. The HKPF has been effectively trained in areas such as counter-terrorism, money laundering, facilities protection, bomb disposal, search and rescue, financial crimes investigations, and police management. The training has significantly improved the performance of Hong Kong participants and provided an excellent opportunity to liaison with police from neighboring countries. The FBI, DSS, IRS, ICE, CBP, USSS, and DEA have all assisted in identifying and providing training opportunities for the HKPF. ¶C. No ¶D. Yes. There are no recent examples to cite. ¶E. Yes. There is regular liaison and cooperation with the HKPF's Security Wing, which is the intelligence arm of the Hong Kong Government. ¶F. No. There have been no significant terrorist operations conducted in Hong Kong compared with other countries in the region. ¶G. Yes. The HKPF is very responsive to requests by the U.S. Consulate General for additional security when necessary. The HKPF and RSO meet regularly to discuss contingency plan and emergency response protocols. ¶H. Excellent ¶I. Effective ¶J. Effective -------------- INDIGENOUS TERRORISM -------------- ¶I. (U) Anti-American Groups ¶A. No ¶B. N/A ¶C. No ¶D. No ¶E. No ¶F. No ¶G. N/A ¶H. N/A II. (U) Other Indigenous Terrorist Groups ¶A. No ¶B. N/A ¶C. No ¶D. N/A ¶E. No -------------- TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM -------------- ¶I. (S/NF) Transnational Terrorism Indicators ¶A. There are no known foreign terrorist groups that have a presence in Hong Kong. However, there have been incidents of individuals with suspected links to terrorism transiting through Hong Kong. ¶B. N/A ¶C. No ¶D. No ¶E. There is no indication that there are any ethnic or religious communities in Hong Kong that are sympathetic to terrorist groups. ¶F. Low ¶G. Low DONOVAN