Lands officers yesterday successfully entered a rural leader's recreational park in Yuen Long and tore down most of the remaining illegal structures inside, backed by a strong police presence.
Hong Kong's development minister said the move, coming five weeks after the facility became a high-profile example of inaction over illegal occupation of government land, upheld the administration's 'credibility in governance'.
Workers entered the park and zoo of influential Heung Yee Kuk member Leung Fuk-yuen under the escort of more than 100 policemen, a day after they ran into a fierce confrontation with angry villagers.
Key members of the rural body, including chairman Lau Wong-fat, visited the Tai Tong Lychee Valley during the demolition to show united support against what they called an unco-operative government.
Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended the need to remove the illicit structures. Lam said her security counterpart, Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong, had promised her enough support from the police before the Lands Department took action. 'After all, it is not just about the government claiming back its own land,' she said. 'It is about law enforcement, and is a matter of governance credibility.'
Workers used a crane to pull down a two-storey-high entrance arch in the evening. According to Chinese customs, removing a signboard is seen as a taboo for businessmen. Other structures on government land, including a toilet and porches, were also destroyed.
The 12,000-square-metre park, which encroaches on Tai Lam Country Park, has occupied 5,000 square metres of government land illegally for 18 years, the Audit Commission reported last month. Since the report, both Leung and the department had removed some of the structures.