Bao Choy's investigations embarrassed the police. On 21 July 2019, gang-related thugs attacked anti-extradition protesters and unsuspecting passengers at a local metro station. RTHK pledges not to give up its investigative efforts. For pro-democracy advocates, the journalist’s arrest is an attack on press freedom.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Police today arrested an RTHK producer who investigated last year’s “riots” in Yuen Long’s during protests against a draft extradition bill.
Bao Choy, a freelance investigative journalist working for Hong Kong’s public broadcaster, was taken away from her home around 3.30 pm local time.
The RTHK investigation raised doubts about the work of law enforcement during the Yuen Long incident.
On 21 July 2019, a group of thugs attacked anti-extradition protesters and unsuspecting passengers at a Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station in Yuen Long.
Dressed in white T-shirts (to distinguish themselves from the black worn by protesters), groups of thugs lashed out at people, wielding iron bars, sticks and other offensive tools. Some 50 people were injured.
Investigations by Choy and her colleagues showed that police were already in the area well before suspected triad members arrived and violence broke out.
The revelation, highlighted in a documentary titled Hong Kong Connection, seriously embarrassed the police.
The producer is accused of violating the law while investigating the incident. She allegedly provided false information to the transport authorities to obtain the registration number of vehicles used by people involved in the attack.
RTHK management said they are concerned about Choy’s arrest, and insisted that they have no intention of giving up their investigative efforts.
For Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists, the journalist's arrest is a clear attack on press freedom in the former British colony.