Hong Kong Watch condemns “politically motivated” arrest of Lam Cheuk-ting on “spurious grounds”

Today the former pro-democracy lawmaker and Democratic Party Vice Chairperson, Lam Cheuk-ting was arrested for allegedly disclosing the personal information of individuals being investigated by police in relation to the Yuen Long MTR station attack in 2019, which saw 45 commuters and protestors injured after being attacked by suspected gang members.

Police were widely criticised for failing to attend emergency calls from Yuen Long for over half an hour and making no arrests on the night, prompting accusations of collusion which were exacerbated when pictures emerged of police officers standing alongside the attackers.

In a video of the arrest posted to his Facebook page, Lam — a former ICAC investigator himself — told officers that the commission had become a “tool for political persecution.”

Under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, persons who disclose the details of an ongoing ICAC investigation, or identify those under investigation, are liable to up to one-year imprisonment and a HK$20,000 fine.

Commenting on the arrest of Lam Cheuk-ting, Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive, Benedict Rogers said:

“Hong Kong Watch strongly condemns yet another politically motivated arrest of a leading pro-democracy activist on spurious grounds.

Rather than holding the perpetrators of the Yuen Long attack to account, the police instead have spent their time targeting pro-democracy activists and journalists whose only crime is pointing out that over a year later there still has been no justice for the victims.”