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Hong Kong police arrest pro-democracy newspaper tycoon Jimmy Lai and Labour Party vice-chair Lee Cheuk-yan
by Rachel Wong and Tom Grundy (HKFP)
Hong Kong police have arrested Jimmy Lai, the owner of pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, as well as the vice-chair of the Labour Party Lee Cheuk-yan.
Police descended on the pro-democracy figures’ homes on Friday morning, according to activist Figo Chan and local media. Both were arrested on suspicion of taking part in an illegal assembly during an anti-extradition law demonstration last August 31.
During the Civil Human Rights Front march, which was banned by police, pro-democracy protesters and officers clashed on Hong Kong Island. Tactical officers later stormed Prince Edward MTR station, deploying pepper spray and making arrests.
– According to Now TV, Jimmy Lai – aged 71 – was also arrested for allegedly blackmailing an Oriental Daily journalist in 2017. Lee, 63, is also a former chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which organises the annual Tiananmen Massacre vigils in Hong Kong.
– Yeung Sum, ex-lawmaker and former chief of the Democratic Party, was also detained for allegedly organising an unlawful assembly, according to democrat Lam Cheuk-ting on Facebook.
Under the Public Order Ordinance, it is an offence for three or more people to act together in a disorderly manner with the intent to cause others to fear that a breach of the peace will be committed. The offence is punishable by three years in prison on summary conviction.
Ahead of the march last August, nine pro-democracy figures were arrested, including Demosisto activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, and lawmakers Au Nok-hin, Jeremy Tam and Cheng Chung-tai.
Police held a press conference outside the Kowloon City Police Station at 12:30pm, where Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters Superintendent (Crime) Wong Tung-kwong confirmed the arrest of three local men. He said one of the men was arrested on suspicion of intimidation in the Eastern District on June 4, 2017.
Wong denied that the arrests were politically-motived, saying they were only made after investigations.
Jimmy Lai left the police station at around 12:50pm without speaking to the press, according to Apple Daily.
After his release at around 1pm, Lee told reporters that his mobile phone was seized and examined at the police station.
“They did not say anything about searching my phone while I was giving my statement,” he said. “I find it suspicious. It seems like the arrest this morning was to do with collecting evidence [against me], not for prosecution.”
Yeung Sum also spoke with reporters after leaving the Western Police Station on bail at around 1pm: “We participated in the march [on August 31] because we thought the right to protest was one of Hong Kong’s basic rights and core values,” he said.
The cases will be heard at Eastern Law Court on May 5.
Hong Kong protests: Apple Daily owner Jimmy Lai arrested over August 31 march and intimidation of reporter at 2017 vigil
by Karen Zhang and Alvin Lum (SCMP)
Apple Daily founder will appear at Eastern Court on May 5 along with former lawmakers Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum.
They are accused of knowingly joining an illegal assembly on August 31, violating the Public Order Ordinance.
Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested on Friday morning for taking part in an illegal assembly during the anti-government protests [1] in Hong Kong last year, as well as for allegedly intimidating a reporter at an event in 2017.
The 71-year-old founder of the tabloid-style Apple Daily will appear at Eastern Court on May 5 along with former lawmakers Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum, who were also arrested on Friday morning, over their involvement in a march on August 31 last year, one of several mass demonstrations held during the unrest sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill [2].
Lai, Lee and Yeung were released on police bail at noon, after being detained at different police stations from around 7am.
They are accused of knowingly joining an illegal assembly on August 31, violating the Public Order Ordinance.
Criminal lawyers said the move to charge the trio could be a “test case” to pave the way for more arrests in the future. More than 6,000 people have been arrested in connection with the anti-government protests, which broke out last June, including high-profile activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and several lawmakers.
Lai separately faced one count of intimidating an Oriental Daily reporter using foul language in June 2017, during the June 4 vigil [3] in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. The rival newspaper said its journalist had reported the incident to police and sent 17 letters to the Department of Justice about it.
Officers with search warrants also went to the trio’s homes on Friday 28 morning to collect clothing worn on the day of the August 31 rally.
Jimmy Lai
Lai did not respond to inquiries when leaving Kowloon City Police Station, but his top aide and allies in the opposition camp were critical of the timing of the arrest.
“With all that Hong Kong is facing, with all the trouble our city is in, how does arresting these three men at this time make any statement, other than [showing that] Beijing and the government want to stir the pot?” Mark Simon, an executive from Lai’s Next Digital Group, said, referring to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus [5].
Yeung Sum
Yeung said he had no regrets but expressed concern that more arrests would come.
“Freedom of procession is a fundamental right, especially when we don’t have full democracy,” he said. “I thought the government should be focused on fighting the epidemic, but it seems it will not let go of what happened last year.”
He stressed that the rally was peaceful, and participants only sang hymns and chanted slogans.
Lawmaker and fellow Democratic Party member Andrew Wan Siu-kin said: “The three were not even organisers. This is clearly political persecution.”
Police
Acting senior superintendent Wong Tung-kwong of the Hong Kong Island regional crime unit later confirmed police arrested three Hong Kong men aged between 63 and 72 on suspicion of taking part in an illegal assembly in Wan Chai on August 31 last year, while one of them was also arrested over a criminal intimidation case on Hong Kong Island on June 4, 2017.
But Wong did not give details of the three suspects.
August 31
The assembly on August 31 was originally organised by the Civil Human Rights Front, which has held the city’s biggest anti-government events. But the front cancelled it after losing its appeal [6] against a police ban.
Protesters gathered in different areas of the city regardless that day, before clashes broke out on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
In the evening, police made arrests at Prince Edward railway station, where they were accused of using excessive force when they stormed a stationary train.
One of the rallies held without police approval was a prayer walk from Southorn Playground in Wan Chai to Central, to pray for Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor [7], whom they called a “sinner”. Police at the time issued a warning that those present were participating in an illegal assembly, but no arrests were made immediately.
Online materials promoting the rally highlighted a provision of the Public Order Ordinance, which states assemblies exclusively held for religious purposes do not require police approval.
But a police source said: “What happened that day was a procession. The people were marching on the streets. It was not a public meeting nor gathering as cited in the above mentioned law.
“Moreover, we have received legal advice from the Department of Justice, which gave the green light for the arrests.”
Criminal barrister Billy Li On-yin said the trio being charged could be a test case for others who joined similar rallies.
“If they can be convicted, I expect more people can be arrested,” Li said.
But former deputy director of public prosecutions John Reading and Li both questioned whether the defendants could claim the entire rally was a religious activity. Reading said if they chanted other slogans at the gathering it “may render that unlawful, because that’s not exclusively [a religious purpose]”.
The extradition bill protests later morphed into a broader anti-government movement fuelled by allegations of police brutality and the push for greater democracy.
Jimmy Lai is a publishing tycoon known for his brash business style as well as his anti-Beijing activism, which is often reflected in Apple Daily.
He was a vocal participant in the Occupy protests of 2014 and remained a strong supporter of the recent anti-government protests.
Meanwhile, a group of 20 people gathered in Kwun Tong during lunchtime on Friday to remember the police raid of Prince Edward MTR station and the arrest of protesters there on August 31.
The crowd wrote memo, played the protest anthem and shouted anti-government slogans, while around 10 police officers stood guard outside the playground.
The protesters dispersed at around 1.30 pm.
Additional reporting by Christy Leung
Links
[1] https://www.scmp.com/topics/hong-kong-protests
[2] https://www.scmp.com/topics/hong-kong-extradition-bill
[3] https://www.scmp.com/topics/june-4-vigil-hong-kong
[4] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3025194/recreational-facilities-and-mtr-station-closed-hong-kong
[5] https://www.scmp.com/topics/coronavirus-outbreak
[6] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3025020/police-ban-mass-hong-kong-protest-planned-civil-human
[7] https://www.scmp.com/topics/carrie-lam
Jimmy Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum released on bail, Yeung Sum labels arrests as selective political prosecution
By Dimsumdaily Hong Kong 3:31PM - Fri February 28, 2020
At 12.50pm today, Jimmy Lai who was accompanied by his lawyers left the Kowloon City police station after being questioned.
He refused to respond to media reporters who were waiting for him. He then left in his car in a hurry.
Both Yeung Sum and Lee Cheuk-yan were taken to Western District Police Station and Cheung Sha Wan Police Station respectively for questioning this morning.
– Yeung Sum served several terms as a Legislative Councillor and was the second chairman of the Democratic Party, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong.
– Lee Cheuk-yan is a Hong Kong politician and social activist. Both are in the same pro-democracy camp.
At 1pm today, Lee Cheuk-yan left Cheung Sha Wan Police station and he told reporters that the police abused their powers to suppress human rights. He said that he expected the arrest to take place. He said that despite the fact that he has been charged for participating illegal assembly, he will continue to participate in street rallies to fight for democracy.
– At 1.03pm, Yeung Sum left Western District Police station after being granted bail. Lam Cheuk-ting, a Democratic Party politician arrived at the station to show solidarity with him. Yeung Sum told reporters that police arrested him from him home at 7am today and they also took away some evidence. He said that the right to assembly is a basic right accorded to every Hong Kong citizen. He urged Hongkongers to stay united and he regarded the arrest as selective political prosecution. Only three pro-democracy representatives were arrested even though they were not the organisers of the illegal assembly.
Three of them will be charged at Eastern Magistrates’ Court on 5th May. They were charged for participating in the illegal assembly on 31st August.
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