MEETING WITH THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE (SECURITY WING)

SEARCCT hosted a meeting with officers from the Hong Kong Police Force’s Security Wing. The meeting aimed to exchange information and knowledge about the present threat landscape of terrorism and violent extremism and to explore future collaboration in research, capacity development, and strategic communication.

The Hong Kong Police Force (Security Wing) delegation expressed a keen interest in SEARCCT’s ongoing research on the intersections of AI and gaming within the context of counter-terrorism. This area is seen as critical due to the evolving nature of radicalisation and recruitment strategies used by terrorist groups.

The delegation also shared insights into the Security Wing’s focus on counter-terrorism, especially in the area of intelligence sharing. Key threats identified in Hong Kong include religious extremism, the spillover effects of ongoing conflicts such as the Russian-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, domestic terrorism, and self-radicalisation. This underscores the complex and multifaceted nature of the terrorism threat landscape in Hong Kong.

The delegation expressed a strong interest in future collaboration and knowledge exchange with SEARCCT, particularly in areas such as strategies for preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE), the nexus between gaming and extremism, and addressing new forms of terrorism threats. This aligns with both parties’ mutual interests in enhancing capabilities and understanding in counter-terrorism efforts.

SEARCCT and the Hong Kong Police Force (Security Wing) expressed keen interest in the ideas for collaboration, which would be further explored in the future. SEARCCT also welcomed other potential programmes in the form of exchanges of knowledge between the two organisations in the areas of research, capacity building, and strategic communication.

PLANNING AND TRAINING DIVISION
SEARCCT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia
5 March 2024