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SCMP Reporter

Six New Territories rural committees have taken their case to the Complaints Against Police Office after a senior officer tried to bar  lion dancers  at a  National Day event in Yuen Long because of their suspected triad costumes.

Police  banned the troupe because  their black trousers  breached  a performance licence  under which they had to  wear light blue pants and yellow shirts. In the end  the ban was lifted but  dancers left without completing their performance on September 30, according to police.

Dancers and event organisers had agreed to the colour scheme because suspected triads had worn black costumes in the past,  he said.

The dispute began when Daniel  Lawley, Divisional Commander (Yuen Long), forbade the dancers from proceeding unless they changed costumes.

'Only two people wore black pants,  and they weren't even  black, they had colour  designs,'  said Wong Yiu-wing,  chairman of Ping Shan Rural Committee.

Mr Wong said the colour stipulation was just 'a part of the process of getting the permit'.

'It's just this time that they've had this rule,' he said. 'Before, they only needed us to give  participants' names but there had never been any requirements on our pants.'

In a letter  to Commissioner of Police Lee Ming-kwai,  the six committee chairmen accused Mr Lawley of treating the dancers as if they were triad members and of 'having an extremely bureaucratic attitude, lacking in flexibility and speaking in an arrogant tone'.

A police spokesman  said Peter  Else, District Commander (Yuen Long),  exercised discretion  and allowed the dancers to continue without changing their clothes.

'Despite this, however, the dancers decided to leave and not to go ahead with their performance,' he said. 'It was their choice.'

Mr Wong  said Mr Else's approval only proved  how  poorly the police handled the matter.

'How come one comes along and says that we can't do it, and then the other says we can?' he  said.



'Arrogant' police slammed over lion dance