Eleven youngsters arrested for wax burning in a PLA shooting range over Mid-Autumn Festival
The incident raises questions about the legality of people, including hikers and cyclists, entering what on paper is a closed area, although the gate is often left open
The arrest of a group of Mid-Autumn Festival revellers who were burning wax in a People’s Liberation Army shooting range on Castle Peak has raised questions about access to the military facility.
The arrests took place in the early hours of Saturday morning after two people who were taking photos reported to police that they saw fire and heard explosions.
Police arrived at the restricted area of the Tuen Mun shooting range at about 2am and arrested six men and five women, all in their 20s, for allegedly burning wax and entering the restricted area without a permit.
“They were found burning wax when officers arrived in the closed area in the early hours,” a police spokesman said.
Local residents and hikers who frequent Castle Peak say the gate to the shooting range is usually open and they had entered the area for years without incident, despite a warning sign that reads “Land Used For Military Purposes. No Trespassing”.