Hong Kong protests: officials attempt for sixth time to debunk rumours of deaths during police operation in MTR station but ‘mourners’ remain unconvinced
- Rumours claim three anti-government protesters were killed after officers charged onto a train with batons and pepper spray on August 31
- Dozens of people again gather outside Prince Edward station to pay respect to those they believe were killed, with some burning paper offerings
Officials have for the sixth time in nine days attempted to debunk rumours that three people died during a police operation inside a Hong Kong metro station last month.
But protesters who have “mourned” outside Prince Edward MTR station since August 31 remained unconvinced and continued to press for the release of security camera footage.
The rumours claimed three anti-government protesters were killed after officers charged onto a train with batons and pepper spray, before expelling the media from the station on August 31.
On Monday night, dozens of people again gathered outside the station to pay respect to those they believe were killed, with some burning paper offerings.
They congregated despite Tsang Man-ha, the fire service’s deputy chief ambulance officer, clarifying the rumours were untrue at a press conference hours earlier.
The Post has learned that an interdepartmental press conference will be held by the three disciplined services and the MTR Corporation, at the earliest on Tuesday, to curb the speculation.
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It would be the first time the rail operator had provided its account of the night’s events.
The rumours began with the report of 10 injuries from an ambulance officer on the night of August 31. The figure was later amended to seven, sparking claims three had died.
Discrepancies in the number of injuries reported by law enforcement agencies added further fuel to the rumours, with police reporting only five cases on September 1 and the fire service clarifying it was seven a day later.
But at the time the fire service did not mention three people who were sent to Kwong Wah Hospital from Yau Ma Tei station.
This was revealed by media reports on September 7.
CCTV footage obtained by the Post on Monday showed three people with head injuries were escorted out of Yau Ma Tei station, including one on a stretcher, at 11.33pm. They were taken away in an ambulance, about 30 minutes later.
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Tsang said on Monday that an ambulance officer had initially counted 10 injured at the scene, but later revised this to seven.
“The situation was very chaotic, injured people were scattered everywhere and moving,” Tsang said.
The department gave a similar clarification earlier, saying some injured people might have been “repeatedly counted” at first.
Police said officers were responding to reports of a fight inside a train at Prince Edward station at 10.40pm on August 31.
News footage showed members of the Special Tactical Squad, known as Raptors, and officers in riot gear entered the station at 10.55pm and headed to the lowest floor.
A group of Raptors entered a Tsuen Wan line train and used batons and pepper spray against protesters with masks and umbrellas, while others made arrests on the platform.
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While the Raptors were accused of indiscriminately beating commuters, the force has maintained it only targeted radicals who had changed out of their black clothes and were mingling with passengers.
At 11.10pm, reporters were told to leave the platform, where the arrested were being held, and about 30 minutes later were expelled from the station.
It meant the process of first aiders tending to the injured and later moving them to two public hospitals went undocumented and questions linger over the handling of the arrested inside.
After the station reopened on September 2, a protest was staged inside, urging the MTR Corp to publicly release security footage from August 31. The protests continued over the following nights with some escalating into violent clashes with police.
Ching Au, 25, was among the mourners outside the station on Monday night. She said she remained unconvinced by the official accounts.
“I don’t believe what the government says. The officials are just lying to cover up,” Au said.
Another person burning offerings said even if the rail firm provided the footage, it could be “doctored”.
I don’t believe what the government says. The officials are just lying to cover up
Two people have launched civil lawsuits against police and the MTR Corp and asked for a court order demanding the release of CCTV footage from Prince Edward station and Lai Chi Kok, where the injured were reportedly transferred to ambulances and taken to hospitals.
Council Front lawmaker Au Nok-hin said the MTR Corp had no reason not to make the footage public, to allay concerns.
“If the issues can be resolved legally, maybe the troubles at MTR stations will stop,” Au said.
MTR Corp operations director Adi Lau Tin-shing said on Monday the rail giant was discussing with the authorities whether to disclose the footage in question.
“But it involves people’s privacy,” he said.
The MTR earlier said CCTV footage was usually kept for 28 days, but in cases of a serious incident, it would be held for three years.
An MTR employee told the Post earlier security camera footage may not give a full picture of what happened, given the station’s many blind spots.
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Clinical psychologist Amos Cheung Chuen-yih said the wild spread of rumours showed public trust in the government was collapsing.
“When people lose confidence in an institution, they will tend to choose to believe the information that suits what they think is reasonable,” Cheung said.
He added that people seeking answers from the MTR might be “a good sign” they were willing to consider evidence provided by the rail operator.
Additional reporting by Phila Siu and Ng Kang-chung
