Source:
https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3030550/andy-chan-founder-outlawed-hong-kong-national-party
Hong Kong/ Law and Crime

Andy Chan, founder of outlawed Hong Kong National Party, charged with assault and unlawful assembly over Sheung Shui border protest

  • Andy Chan, 29, was arrested leaving the city at Hong Kong International Airport in August – he is expected in court Friday
  • Separately, magistrate grants bail to student charged over June protests so he can go sightseeing in Taiwan
Ho Pui-kai (left), 20, leaves Eastern Court on Thursday with his defence lawyer, Daniel Wong Kwok-tung. Photo: Jasmine Siu

The founder of an outlawed pro-independence party has been charged with assaulting police and unlawful assembly over a protest in a Hong Kong border town in July.

Police on Thursday laid the charges against Andy Chan Ho-tin, 29, the founder of the Hong Kong National Party, a localist group that became the city’s first political party to be banned in 2018.

Chan was charged for his role in a protest against mainland visitors and parallel traders on July 13, when an approved march descended into chaos.

The march to “reclaim Sheung Shui” capitalised on public anger against a now-withdrawn extradition bill that triggered months of mass protests and clashes between demonstrators and police.

Chan was arrested leaving the city at Hong Kong International Airport on August 29.

He was expected to attend Fanling Court on Friday.

Separately on Thursday, a magistrate granted bail to a student charged over two protests in June so he could go to Taiwan for sightseeing this weekend.

Ansen Wong, 19, was granted bail to leave Hong Kong for a trip to Taipei from September 27 to October 2. Photo: Jasmine Siu
Ansen Wong, 19, was granted bail to leave Hong Kong for a trip to Taipei from September 27 to October 2. Photo: Jasmine Siu

Ansen Wong, 19, was among six men who faced charges in Eastern Court over the protest outside the Legislative Council complex on June 12, when the legislature was due to conduct the second reading of the unpopular extradition bill.

Each of the men, aged between 19 and 33, faced one count of taking part in an unlawful assembly at Harcourt Road or Tim Wa Avenue in Admiralty.

Wong was further charged with one count of criminal damage allegedly committed during a protest outside police headquarters on June 21, and one count of possession of dangerous drugs for allegedly carrying 2.72 gram of marijuana in Sau Mau Ping on August 27.

Public prosecutor Jennifer Tsui Sin-chi did not object to any of their bail applications after securing an adjournment for police to conduct further inquiries.

Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai released all of the defendants on cash bail of between HK$2,000 and HK$4,000 (US$510) with the condition that they obey a curfew, report to police once a week and refrain from entering the areas where they allegedly committed offences.

She also ordered most of the defendants to surrender their travel documents and remain in Hong Kong. Wong, who was allowed to travel to Taipei from September 27 and October 2, was required to give police his travel itinerary and contact in Taiwan, and surrender his passport upon return.

The case returns to court on December 5.