The national security crackdown surrounding the Tai Po fire goes beyond just arresting individuals. Things have now moved on to the making of veiled threats.
A group of experienced Hong Kong legal, town planning, social work and public policy professionals had organised a press conference for this afternoon Hong Kong time to discuss issues arising from the Tai Po fire. But it had to be cancelled after National Security Police asked to see one of the attendees.
For Hong Kong Fire, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has arrested 12 people. Some are suspected of purchasing non-fire-retardant scaffold netting and “mixing” it with compliant materials in order to obtain a passing safety test report.
Compliant netting was allegedly installed only at the lower sections of the building, while non-compliant netting was used above. The price difference between the two types is around HKD 100,000.
(Photo: Now News)
The arrest of the student who launched a petition over the deadly Tai Po fire shows how little free speech #HongKong really has. The CCP tolerates mourning, but anyone who dares to seek accountability or hold criticism is treated as a "national security" threat and crushed.
(1/11) I oppose any hasty government move to abandon bamboo scaffolding, a proven, resilient, and cost-effective engineering system that has served Hong Kong’s high-rise and complex urban environment for decades. #HongKongFire
And here is why: