Yuen Long a month later: "We have no confidence in the police"
by Paul Wang

A month ago, a group of local mobsters attacked demonstrators and underground passengers, injuring 50 people.  The police did not arrest anyone.  Suspicions of collusion between law enforcement and triads.

 


Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - About 1000 people organized a sit-in yesterday evening at the subway station (Mtr) of Yuen Long (photo 3), a month after the attack suffered by anti-extradition demonstrators and unsuspecting passengers by a group of thugs.  They wanted to express their distrust of the police who have yet to arrest any of the criminals.

Dressed in white T-shirts (to distinguish themselves from the demonstrators who wear black), armed with iron bars, sticks and other offensive weapons (photo 1), on 21 July the group, belonging to the local mafia, violently attacked people causing 50 injuries (photo 2).  Witnesses confirm that they called the police, but they arrived after 45 minutes, when the thugs had already left.  In addition, a video posted on social networks shows the police chief who, a few hours before the incident, agrees with a head of the triad and thanks him for "assistance".

According to many groups of protesters, the police are in league with the local mafias (triads) to break the resistance of the democratic movement with violence.

Many people wonder why, after a month, none of the triads - which are well known - have been charged, while the police charged and arrested hundreds of young people within a matter of days for incidents with democratic protesters.

In a meeting with journalists, Steve Li, superintendent of the "Organized Crimes and Triads" sector, defended the work of the police, stating that for the Yuen Long incident "we need more time to secure more evidence."

Last night, in the margins of the peaceful sit-in, a hundred protesters tried to barricade themselves in the Yuen Long station, resisting the police who wanted to free the area, but never coming to direct confrontation.  While creating disorder in the station, they withdrew to the 23 police and demonstrators.