Do Hong Kong people care about the countryside? One only needs to look at the litter left near barbecue areas, along trails and on our beaches. Even more heartbreaking is the sight of hill-fires, caused by grave visitors, year after year.
Over just three days during the Ching Ming Festival, more than 432 hill-fires destroyed 880 hectares of our beautiful countryside; 38 of those fires occurred in country parks.
We cannot stand by and watch this happen.
There has to be more education and more publicity about a code of conduct for grave sweepers and people must be effectively warned about the consequences of their actions. There must be better co-ordination between various government departments and district organisations, such as the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, the Fire Services Department, Government Information Services, the Home Affairs Department, the District Lands Offices, District Boards and the Heung Yee Kuk. The departments must reach out to rural as well as urban residents.
Lighting a fire in a non-designated area of a country park is an offence. The penalty is $5,000 and one year's imprisonment. But the enforcement authority, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department has been hesitant when it comes to prosecuting grave sweepers and this is unacceptable. Observing cultural traditions cannot be used as an excuse for committing such a crime.
Fire-crackers are traditional, but they were banned from Chinese New Year celebrations, to prevent injury.