HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s national security police arrested a man on Saturday, the first publicly confirmed arrest, amid criticism of authorities over a high-rise apartment fire that killed at least 159 people.
Police said he was accused of posting “messages with seditious intent” on social media.
“This mainly includes materials (intended to) incite (others) hatred towards the Hong Kong government and the central government,” Li Rui, chief superintendent of the police’s national security bureau, told reporters.
“For example, he pointed to Hong Kong and the central government as instigators who exploited the tragedy to create chaos and unrest,” he said. “That’s completely impossible.”
Local media earlier reported other arrests but authorities have not confirmed them.
A fire at the Wang Fook Court residential complex on November 26 sparked debate about government responsibility.
Authorities warned against using arson to disrupt local government or the central government in Beijing. Hong Kong is part of China but, like nearby Macau, has its own legal system and laws. Both are former European colonies that were returned to China in the late 1990s.
The man was also arrested on suspicion of leaking information related to a national security investigation, possibly in an effort to hinder the investigation, police said.
According to police, on December 2, he was asked to come to the police station to assist in a national security investigation. “But the next day, we discovered that he had blatantly posted all (or) some of the details on social media,” Lee said, even though he was warned not to disclose the information publicly.
He said officials believed the 71-year-old man was trying to tip off other people involved.
The initial cause of last month’s fire was unclear, but the government said it would set up an independent commission to investigate the cause.
At least 21 people have been arrested by authorities as officials investigate alleged corruption and negligence during a major renovation project underway at the residential complex before the fire.
Substandard greening netting covering the building’s scaffolding and foam panels installed on the building’s windows have been identified as the main causes of the fire’s rapid spread to seven of the complex’s eight residential buildings. Some fire alarms were also found to be inoperative.
According to local media such as HK01 and Sing Tao Daily, the organizer of a petition calling for the government to take responsibility for the fire was arrested by the National Security Police on suspicion of inciting rebellion last weekend.
Lee did not confirm or deny any other arrests but said officials had uncovered a lot of false information about the fires that they believed was aimed in part at inciting hatred against Hong Kong and Beijing.
Lee also said some people tried to provoke conflicts by distributing pamphlets and posting slogans near the fire scene, which he said was similar to scenes during Hong Kong’s massive anti-government protests in 2019.
The protests triggered a crackdown that effectively silenced political dissent in the city. There are no opposition candidates in Sunday’s legislative elections, and all candidates are vetted to ensure they are loyal to Beijing.
Hong Kong leader Li Ka-chiu warned that authorities would take action against those who took advantage of the tragedy.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is served against anyone who seeks to undermine the promise of society,” he said.
