20 police officers arrest Hong Kong student leader over purchase of laser pointers during 2019 demos

A student leader from the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, possession of offensive weapons, and resisting arrest, in connection with his arrest in August last year.

According to a Facebook post by HKBU’s student union, their acting president Keith Fong Chung-yin was arrested at his home at around 7am on Wednesday by more than 20 police officers. Fong was taken to Sha Tin police station.

Fong was arrested after he purchased ten laser pointers in Sham Shui Po on August 6 last year, he was released unconditionally two days after his arrest, but the police reserved the right to prosecute. The case continued to be investigated by the organised crime and triad bureau.

The police said Fong was possessing class 4 laser products without a legitimate reason, which the police said had “industrial or military purposes” according to the International Electrotechnical Commission’s standard.

At a press conference, Senior Superintendent Ho Chun-tung rejected Fong’s reasoning that the laser pointers were for stargazing: “From our investigation, normally those laser devices used for stargazing, they are [emitting a] green beam, and those we seized… are [emitting a] blue beam.”

Union condemns

Fong was also said to have resisted arrest and wiped his phone data while being tended by paramedics after his arrest last year. The police believed that Fong wanted to destroy evidence related to the case.

Ho said they decided to arrest Fong again and press charges after consulting the Department of Justice.

Keith Fong Chung-yin. File photo: HKBU SU Editorial Board, via Facebook.

The HKBU student union condemned the police for Fong’s arrest and demanded Fong’s immediate release.

“We severely condemn Hong Kong warlords’ arbitrary arrests targeted at members of our student union. The authoritarian regime’s aim to spread white terror and target dissident is obvious,” said HKBU student union on their Facebook.

The case will be mentioned on December 8 at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts.