A Hong Kong man has recently arrived in the UK seeking refugee asylum, claiming to have faced threats from Hong Kong’s national security and police forces, who coerced him to testify in court against former pro-democracy legislator Lam Cheuk-ting, who is currently facing allegations of participating in riots.
The case traces back to the well-known 2019 Yuen Long attack, also known as the “7.21 incident,” During this incident, a large group of individuals donned white clothes and conducted a brutal assault on citizens. The Hong Kong police attempted to characterize the incident as clashes between two opposing groups, igniting controversy. The fallout led to charges being levied against Mr. Lam, a former Democratic Party legislator, for his alleged involvement in a riot.
However, a dramatic turn of events occurred as a key witness came forward with startling claims. Tang Tak Chuen, who had previously testified against the white-clad assailants, claimed he was coerced by national security and police officers to provide false testimony to implicate Lam in the riot, or he would also be charged with rioting. Mr, Tang did not comply, and his bank account was subsequently frozen. Fearing for his safety, he hastily left Hong Kong and sought refugee asylum in the UK.
In a series of
interviews granted to media outlets, he stated that on July 29 at noon, three officers, including one national security officer and two plainclothes police officers, visited him. One officer approached him in a calm tone and asked, “Mr. Tang, do you know you’re supposed to testify that Lam was involved in riots?” Tang was taken aback and asked for clarification, to which an officer responded, “If you don’t testify that Lam was involved in riots, I'll accuse you of rioting,” as Tang was present at the scene on July 21. Mr. Tang then inquired whether there was a formal court summons for witnesses, but the officers did not provide any. They left shortly afterward.
Two days later, Mr. Tang attempted to withdraw money from an HSBC ATM, but the transaction was unsuccessful. He was instructed to inquire at a branch counter, where bank staff and a branch manager informed him that around HK$200,000 (US$25,582) in his account had been frozen. They claimed it was a government decision, and the bank could not assist.
Mr. Tang could only access around HK$20,000 (US$2,558) from his account at East Asia Bank. He used over HK$19,000 (US$2,430) to purchase a plane ticket, leaving him with only 80 pounds (US$101) when he arrived in the UK. Unable to afford the 250 pounds (US$317) visa fee and 3,120 pounds (US$3,960) health surcharge for the UK’s BNO visa (which allows Hong Kong residents to settle), he sought refugee asylum.
In an interview with The Chaser, Mr. Tang said, “Money can be earned back, but life cannot.” He felt fortunate not to be on Hong Kong’s immigration blacklist and could leave the city. He stated that upon entering the UK, he breathed a sigh of relief and intended to urge the UK Parliament to exert pressure on HSBC, a British-affiliated bank.
In response to inquiries from Hong Kong’s “Independent Media,” the police stated that the case was in judicial proceedings and they would not comment.
HSBC Bank responded to “Photon Media,” stating that the rumors of account freezing were unconfirmed, and due to confidentiality reasons, they would not comment on individual cases.
Trial for Lam’s ‘Riot’ Case Set for October
The case involving Mr. Tang being compelled to testify against Mr. Lam is related to a riot charge against Mr. Lam and six others. The police accused them of participating in a riot during the “Yuen Long 7.21 Incident” on July 21, 2019.
Mr. Lam’s impending trial is scheduled to commence in October. The trial is anticipated to feature a diverse array of witnesses, including six civilians and 14 police officers.
Mr. Tang, during an interview in the UK, remarked, “He [Lam Cheuk-ting] didn’t even raise a hand. I wonder how that could be considered a riot? It’s quite absurd.”
7.21 Incident: Lam Cheuk-ting Attacked and Injured
In mid-July 2019, rumors about pro-government forces in Yuen Long donning white shirts and orchestrating attacks against anti-extradition protesters had already spread online amidst the intensifying anti-extradition protests.On the evening of July 21, 2019, around 10 pm, individuals in white clothing stormed into the Yuen Long MTR station, targeting citizens indiscriminately on the train, platforms, and station concourse, wielding batons. This resulted in at least 45 injured, with one individual in critical condition. The victims included journalists and even a pregnant woman.
Mr. Lam, a Legislative Council member, then rushed to the scene upon hearing the news to assist the injured citizens. However, he, too, became a target of the attackers, sustaining injuries to his hands and bleeding from his mouth.
Additionally, citizens captured footage of at least two police officers at the Yuen Long station, who appeared indifferent to the heavily armed attackers before them and promptly left the scene.
During that night, numerous citizens witnessed the live broadcasts of the incident on news platforms and promptly called the police for help. However, the police response was conspicuously delayed. Some citizens even personally went to police stations in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai to report the attacks, but their pleas were ignored. In a shocking move, the police closed the doors to the reporting room, shutting out citizens who were urgently seeking help to stop the attackers at Yuen Long station.
In January 2020, Lam and eight other victims of the 7.21 incident filed a civil lawsuit against Tang Ping-Keung, the Commissioner of Police. They alleged that the police deliberately failed to fulfill their duty to protect citizens on the evening of July 21, 2019, and sought a combined compensation of around HK$2.7 million.
However, despite being a victim and plaintiff in the incident, Mr. Lam was accused in August 2020 of participating in the 7.21 attack and arrested on rioting charges.
Furthermore, Mr. Lam exposed the identity of the lead investigator of the 7.21 case, the Superintendent of Police Yau Nai Keung, causing Mr. Lam to be under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for three counts of disclosing a person’s identity. After being arrested in December 2020, Mr. Lam stated, “I, Lam Cheuk-ting, will persistently pursue the ‘police-triad collusion’ in the 7.21 incident.” During his April 28, 2021, court appearance, he reaffirmed his position.
As a pro-democracy figure, Mr. Lam later faced additional charges in early 2021, this time related to his participation in pro-democracy primary elections, specifically “conspiring to subvert state power.” He has remained in detention since then.
In May 2021, Mr. Lam dropped his lawsuit against Mr. Tang Ping-kueng over the July 21 incident out of concern that if he lost, he would have to pay the legal fees, which could hurt his family. Despite his imprisonment, however, he made it clear that he would vigorously defend himself against the riot charges related to the 7.21 incident.
As for the attackers in white shirts responsible for the attacks on citizens during the 7.21 incident, 14 individuals have been prosecuted. Among them, eight have been convicted, five are awaiting trial, and one person has been acquitted. Most recently, Mr. Tang Tak Chuen, provided testimony in court in 2022 as an anonymous witness,
identifying the attackers twice.
Official Distortion of Facts and Prosecution of Investigative Journalists
In the meantime, the authorities have attempted to distort the 7.21 Incident. The then Secretary for Justice, Teresa Cheng Yeuk Wah, and the Commissioner of Police, Tang, described it as a “clash between two groups.”
The Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), in its review of the Hong Kong police’s handling of the “Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement,” also characterized the 7.21 incident as a “mutual brawl” rather than a “unilateral indiscriminate terror attack.”
In addition, investigative journalists have also found themselves subjected to prosecution.
In 2020, RTHK producer Bao Choy Yu-ling, while producing her featured report on the first anniversary of the 7.21 incident, found that a vehicle was suspected of transporting weapons on the night of 21 July, and the identity of the owner of the vehicle was revealed through her license plate search. However, in November of the same year, Hong Kong police arrested Ms. Choy and charged her with two counts of “knowingly making false statements.” They alleged that she falsely declared the reason for license plate searches as “other matters related to traffic and transportation,” which they considered a misrepresentation.
This incident raised concerns in the journalism community, who are worried that routine news reporting could be treated as unlawful searches at any time.
In 2021, Ms. Choy was convicted and fined HK$6,000, marking the first case in Hong Kong where a journalist was prosecuted and convicted for license plate searches. After two rounds of appeals, the Court of Final Appeal ruled in her favor in 2023. The Court recognized that freedom of speech and the press is protected by the constitution and found no reason to exclude genuine news investigations from the scope of “other matters related to traffic and transportation.”
