HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s national security police arrested a man on Saturday in the first publicly confirmed arrest relating to criticism of authorities over a high-rise apartment blaze that killed at least 159 people.
Police said he had been accused of posting “information with seditious intention” on social media.
“That mainly included (materials intending to) incite hatred among (others) toward the Hong Kong government and the central government,”
Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police National Security Department, told reporters.
“For example, he pointed to the Hong Kong and the central governments as instigators of exploiting the tragedy to cause chaos and turmoil,” he said. “That’s something totally impossible.”
Local media reported other arrests earlier but authorities have not confirmed them.
The fire, which broke out Nov. 26 at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, has prompted a debate about government accountability.
Authorities have warned against attempts to use the fire to try to undermine the local government or the central government in Beijing. Hong Kong is part of China but, like nearby Macao, has its own legal system and laws. Both are former European colonies that were returned to China in the late 1990s.
Police said the man had also been arrested on suspicion of disclosing information related to a national security probe, possibly with the intent of prejudicing the investigation.
On Dec. 2, he was asked to come to a police station to assist with a national security investigation, according to police. “But on the following day, we discovered that he had brazenly released all (or) some of those details on social media,” said Li, despite being warned not to disclose the information publicly.
He said officials believed the 71-year-old man was attempting to tip off others involved in the case.
The initial cause of last month's blaze was unknown, but the government said it would set up an independent committee to probe the cause.
At least 21 people have been arrested by authorities as officials investigate suspected corruption and negligence over a major renovation project that had been taking place at the housing complex before the fire broke out.
Substandard green netting covering the scaffolding that enveloped the buildings, as well as foam boards installed on windows of the buildings, have been identified as among the main causes for the fire's rapid spread to seven of the eight residential towers in the complex. Some fire alarms were also found to be not working.
Last weekend, the organizer of a petition calling for government accountability over the fire was arrested by national security police on suspicion of sedition, local media including HK01 and Sing Tao Daily reported.
Li did not confirm nor deny any other arrests but said officials had spotted a lot of fake information about the fire that they believed was intended in part to incite hatred against Hong Kong and Beijing.
Li also said that some people were attempting to provoke conflict by distributing pamphlets and putting up slogans near the scene of the fire, which he said resembled scenes from massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019.
The protests led to a crackdown that has effectively silenced political dissent in the city. There are no opposition candidates in a legislative election on Sunday, with all those running vetted to ensure they are loyal to Beijing.
John Lee, Hong Kong’s leader, has warned that authorities would take action against those who exploit the tragedy.
“For anybody who tries to sabotage the commitment of society, I will do all I can to ensure justice is done,” he said.
