In a previously unpublished recording obtained by Reuters, a Chinese official was heard urging Hong Kong villagers to drive off protesters a week before Sunday’s violence at a train station via jamespomfret GregTorode David Lague
HONG KONG - A week before suspected triad gang members attacked protesters and commuters at a rural Hong Kong train station last Sunday, an official from China’s representative office urged local residents to drive away any activists.
Li chastises the protesters, appealing to the assembled residents to protect their towns in Yuen Long district and to chase anti-government activists away.“Even though there are a group of protesters trained to throw bricks and iron bars, we still have a group of Yuen Long residents with the persistence and courage to maintain social peace and protect our home.”
When some protesters retaliated, the beatings escalated as men and women were hit repeatedly on their heads and bodies by the masked men, who wore white shirts. “If he didn’t say this, the violence wouldn’t have happened, and the triads wouldn’t have beaten people,” he told Reuters in his office close to the station.
Beyond the extradition bill, many activists are demanding independent inquiries into the use of police force against them, and far-reaching democratic reforms - anathema to Beijing’s leaders. While Hong Kong’s triads - ancient secret societies that morphed into mafia-style underworld operations - no longer hold the high profile of previous decades they remain entrenched in some grittier districts and in rural areas, according to police.
Wong said he called local police on Saturday, and then again on Sunday at 7pm when he heard of men gathering in a Yuen Long park.Both Mak and Wong said they were told by police they were aware of the situation and were handling it. There, riot police and other officers surrounded and questioned scores of men in white shirts for several hours, live media coverage showed.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hong Kong home prices seen weakening after huge protests but only briefly-realtorsMass demonstrations in Hong Kong in recent months will have only have a short-te...
Read more »
Beijing strikes ominous tone, saying military could intervene in Hong KongHong Kong protesters are now directly challenging the Chinese government while pro-Beijing thugs have gone on a rampage, beating bystanders, journalists and protesters in public. China's state media is stirring nationalist sentiment with rhetoric that has been used in the past to pave the way for…
Read more »