Hong Kong police have failed to explain why they needed to swiftly clear street sleepers from public park, court official says
- Group of homeless residents living in a public park seeking compensation from the government after their belongings were confiscated
- Department of Justice had been asked to detail police officers’ actions during an anti-drug operation in Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po
The Department of Justice had been asked to detail police officers’ actions during an anti-drug operation on December 21, 2019, after 13 homeless residents living in Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po filed to the Small Claims Tribunal last year. Two residents have since withdrawn from the proceedings, while another homeless man filed his claim earlier this year.
The claimants are seeking compensation ranging from HK$2,200 (US$282) to HK$13,290 from the government after accusing police officers and janitors from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of seizing their personal belongings, including garments, mattresses, cash and travel documents, without giving them reasonable time to clear their belongings.
They were told their property would be temporarily stored in a refuse depot for three days, but they could not find any of their belongings there. Police said the officers were enforcing the law.
In a mention hearing on Thursday, justice department senior law clerk Crystal Wong Yu-ying said the claimants had no right to claim back their property as they had illegally occupied government premises, and officers had no obligation to preserve their belongings.
But adjudicator Josephine Chow Pok-fun questioned why police had turned a blind eye to street sleepers in the park over the years but suddenly took “swift” action against them.