Hong Kong No 2 official rejects suggestion government lacks empathy for residents injured during protests, calls Carrie Lam’s visit to Kowloon Mosque ‘show of respect’

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung says ministers cannot visit everyone affected by demonstrations when asked about victims of Yuen Long attack

But he says city leader’s meeting at Kowloon Mosque was about highlighting importance of religious freedom

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Mohan Chugani, centre, was doused in blue dye from a police water cannon on Sunday. A senior official insists the government is concerned about Hongkongers being caught up in the protests. Photo: Twitter

Published: 5:41pm, 22 Oct 2019Updated: 6:48pm, 22 Oct 2019

Hong Kong’s No 2 official has said the city leader visited a mosque caught up in a police operation at the weekend in a show of respect for religious freedom, as he rejected suggestions that officials lacked empathy for residents injured during protests.

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung was referring to Monday’s meeting between Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the police chief and the Islamic community, held the day after the entrance to Kowloon Mosque was sprayed with blue solution from a water cannon being used to disperse anti-government protesters in Nathan Road.

Lam’s visit to the city’s biggest mosque came hours before chaos returned to northern Hong Kong on Monday night, when police fired tear gas at barricade-building demonstrators, who were marking the three-month anniversary of the Yuen Long attack, which left 45 people injured at the hands of a white-clad mob armed wooden sticks and metal poles.

Matthew Cheung tells the press the government is concerned about protest incidents even if they cannot visit everybody affected. Photo: May Tse

Cheung hosted a media briefing on Tuesday in his capacity as the city’s acting chief executive, with Lam on an official visit in Tokyo.

At the briefing, Cheung was asked why no official had visited any of those injured in the Yuen Long attack, or any other shops or institutions affected during Sunday’s protest, which centred around Mong Kok and Tsim Tsa Tsui.

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