South Korean, Filipino Among First Arrested in Recent Hong Kong Protests
By Ryan General
August 5, 2019
A South Korean restaurant worker and a Filipino Disneyland employee, were among those arrested in Hong Kong recently, in what could be the first cases of foreigners being detained in relation to the ongoing mass protests.
Hong Kong police apprehended the two foreigners during a clearing operation of extradition bill protesters in Mong Kok on Saturday night. They were among 24 men and five women arrested for unlawful assembly, South China Morning Post reports.
A parade dancer at Hong Kong Disneyland since 2008, the unnamed 36-year-old Filipino was reportedly not wearing any protective gear when he was pinned down by riot police before his arrest at around 11 p.m.
While he explained that he was not a protester, a police source claimed the man did take part in the protest. It was also pointed out that the individual had commented on the extradition bill on social media earlier.
The Hong Kong Disneyland management stated that they would follow up the man’s case, which is currently being handled by two Hong Kong lawyers pro bono.
According to Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, the Philippines’ deputy consul in Hong Kong, the man was on his way to get food and was arrested for wearing black. The man reportedly asked not to be identified as he was worried about his mother’s health.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old South Korean man was arrested in Mong Kok but detained at the North Point police station. He reportedly held a Hong Kong work permit.
An official at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong released a statement revealing that they requested “a fair investigation” from the Hong Kong police. The consulate had sent officials to the police station where the man was being detained.
Despite the multiple arrests made recently, protesters against the government’s extradition bill continued to express their frustrations by staging a citywide strike on Monday that paralyzed entire Hong Kong, reports CNN.
According to Hong Kong’s Airport Authority, 224 flights were canceled after over 2,300 aviation workers took part in a sit-in protest at Hong Kong International Airport.
Protesters also blocked off multiple entry points of Nathan road, the major artery in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district.
Hong Kong police clashed with protesters multiple times throughout the day, resulting in 24 people being sent to hospitals.
Featured Image via YouTube / The Chuckness
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