Hong Kong Watch condemns the arrest of pro-democracy lawmakers and activists over the Yuen Long anti-Extradition protests

Today two pro-democracy lawmakers, Lam Cheuk-ting and Ted Hui Chi-fung from the Democratic Party, were arrested among 16 people for their participation in anti-Extradition protests in Yuen Long in July 2019.

The group of protestors in question were attacked at Yuen Long train station on 21st July last year by a gang of men wearing white t-shirts suspected to be triad gang members. Videos of the incident were shared widely on social media and across the international press. The Hong Kong police failed to attend emergency calls for over thirty minutes and have subsequently failed to arrest any of those involved in the assault of protestors.

Prior to today’s arrests, both lawmakers were in the process of bringing a private prosecution against the Hong Kong Police Force for failing to respond to the attack on protestors or follow up the investigation.

Commenting on the arrests of the lawmakers, Hong Kong Watch’s Chair and co-founder Benedict Rogers said:

“These arrests are further evidence of the Hong Kong Government’s cynical attempts to weaponize the law to punish pro-democracy activists and lawmakers, while letting criminal gangs who violently assaulted commuters off the hook.

It borders on absurdity that two pro-democracy lawmakers who were thanked by the Hong Kong Police for their reporting of the attack at Yuen Long last year, are now facing trumped up charges alleging that they took part in rioting and criminal damage.

As the Justice Secretary and the Hong Kong Police attempt to bend the rule of law out of all recognisable shape, the international community must stand with pro-democracy lawmakers and activists in Hong Kong and take swift action, including the sanctioning of those responsible for human rights abuses in the city.”