Hong Kong bomb plot a conspiracy to smear us, localists claim, ahead of reform vote

Hong Kong localists have distanced themselves from radicals arrested for an alleged bomb plot, as they raised claims that the plan was a conspiracy to smear them before the Legislative Council votes on the government’s electoral reform package.

Jon Ho, spokesman for Hong Kong Localism Power, told a Commercial Radio programme today his group had no connection to 10 members of the “National Independent Party” arrested for allegedly plotting to set off bombs to cause mayhem and bloodshed.

Ho also questioned if the party was a genuine localist group, citing suspicious features of material belonging to the group seized by police officers.

“Localist groups would not mention umbrellas and yellow ribbons,” Ho said, referring to items carrying logos of the key icons of last year’s Occupy movement.

Some paraphernalia also carried the name of the League of Social Democrats. Ho said that it was “impossible” to link League of Social Democrats lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung to localist groups as he insisted he was Chinese – a standpoint that was entirely different from that of localists.