A woman has been arrested in relation to a fire that broke out at pro-establishment district councillor Bill Tang Ka-piu’s office on Monday afternoon.
Tang posted a photo on Facebook saying that his office in Yat Tung Estate in Tung Chung had been subjected to a suspected arson attack: “The fire has been put out and there’s no need to worry, no one is hurt.”
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Photo: 鄧家彪（Bill Tang）via Facebook.
Tang said that, according to CCTV footage, a person was loitering outside the door at around 3:15pm. They then tore down posters, lit them with a lighter, then left. The estate’s security staff reported the matter to the police after seeing smoke. When Tang arrived on the scene, the fire had already been put out by fire officers.
Tang said that because it was a holiday, no one had been inside. Despite the damage to the outer door, the office will open as usual on Tuesday to serve the community, he added.
He said that if it was indeed an incident of malicious arson at the office, “I call on everyone with differing opinions to express their views in a reasonable and legal manner, and they’re welcome to contact me directly.”
“If these people are troubled by their emotions, and they cannot control themselves, I hope they can seek the help of social workers,” Tang said, adding that they should not engage in illegal behaviour that could cause even greater damage.
Arrest in Tung Chung
Following the incident, there was a second case of suspected arson at a community centre at Yat Tung Estate.
The police told HKFP that a 40-year-old woman – not of the Chinese ethnicity – had been arrested in Tung Chung for suspected arson and attempted arson. She is currently in detention pending an investigation following the two incidents.
Tang, who is a member of the pro-establishment Federation of Trade Unions party, served as a legislator of the labour constituency from 2012-2016. He is currently a district councillor in the Yat Tung Estate North constituency.
