Fighting to the End

Pang wants to clear his name even though he was acquitted

A 19-year old Hongkonger is taking the Secretary of Justice to court.

In June, Parco Pang was acquitted of possessing a laser pointer for illegal purposes after a West Kowloon court ruled the prosecution could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had possessed the laser pointer at a protest in Mongkok on November 11, 2019.

Today he spoke to reporters at District Court, saying he believes prosecutors withheld documents during his trial which were inconsistent with testimony given by two police officers. He said this amounted to unfairness.

He was accused of carrying a laser pointer in 2019

"I'm filing this suit because certain evidence has arisen after the conclusion of my criminal prosecution, which suggests the possibility of certain documents which were withheld and not disclosed to the defence in the course thereof, which in my opinion, had led to the criminal case being, to a certain extent, unfair, which is why I'm bringing this suit to clear my name," Pang said.

Pang says he is seeking HK$520,000 (US$66,734) in damages. 

Perhaps even more extraordinary is that the teenager defended himself in the trial and will represent himself again in this latest suit.

"At this juncture, I think I'm the most suitable [person] to conduct the case as I'm most familiar with the facts and the relevant circumstances."

Wow. Just wow.

This couple was acquitted after lack of evidence

What happened to Pang is not unusual. He was one of the some 10,000 cases related to the 2019 anti-government protests. In several cases that have gone to court so far, the police officers could not recall things clearly, or the prosecution did not have enough evidence to convict, and the judge not only acquitted the defendant but also berated the prosecution for shoddy case preparation.

Those who are acquitted breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

But Pang is going a step further and is hitting back at the government as a warning shot.

When asked to comment in the suit, the Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases... like its own...

Further Clamping Down on HK

Protesters held a laser pointer party outside the Hong Kong Space Museum

Hey folks -- two things you need to know today: a laser pointer can be considered an offensive weapon depending on the situation and intent, and next year's Chinese New Year flower market is going to be a dud.

Today West Kowloon acting chief magistrate So Wai-tak said in his ruling that while a laser pointer may not be an offensive weapon in itself, it could become one depending on the circumstances and intent.

They were protesting in support of a student who was arrested

The then 15-year-old boy was arrested near a protest site in Tuen Mun on September 21. So said: "It [the use of the laser pointer] was meant to harm the eyes of police officers, causing them discomfort."

During a body search, the boy was found to be carrying a laser pointer, a modified umbrella and an hiking stick. He happened to be near an anti-government protest that was underway, and was apparently seen walking up and down along a police cordon with the umbrella before his arrest.

So found the boy guilty of one count of possessing offensive weapons in a public place, and another of possessing offensive weapons with intent because he had those items in his possession at the time of arrest. The ruling was based on circumstantial evidence, including a helmet and other protective gear on him.

An expert testified earlier in the trial that a laser pointer could cause harm if it was aimed at someone's eyes from a close distance and for a sufficient period of time.

Eddie Chu wrote a letter in support of the 15-year-old

"If he intended to take part in a peaceful assembly, there was no need to bring anything to protect himself from bodily contact," the magistrate said, adding that was especially the case for a laser pointer.

The boy's class teacher even enlisted the help of legislators Eddie Chu Hoi-dick and Roy Kwong Chun-yu and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun to write letters to the judge on his behalf in mitigation, but they weren't enough to sway the magistrate.

And while Chinese New Year isn't that far away on January 25, the flower markets are going to be dull and boring now that only flowers and food will be allowed to be sold, and no dry goods, which usually meant politically-laced toys and products.

Usually these items that poked fun at local politicians and issues were hilarious and many bought these satirical products for a laugh, but this coming January there won't be much to look forward to.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today that only flowers and food will be allowed at the 15 government-run fairs and festivals around Hong Kong from January 19-25.

The flower market is usually a fun place to check out satire

"The fairs in the past have been crowded with people, including children and the elderly. In view of the current social situation, the government -- as the venue manager and event organizer -- has the responsibility to ensure the safety of the stall owners and [visitors]," a department spokesman said.

"To safeguard public safety and public order, and to implement crowd control measures more effectively, the [department] will enlarge the sizes of the [stalls] to facilitate the sale of flowers. Public access will also be widened to alleviate crowding."

So basically the fairs will have less stalls and bigger stalls for flowers.

Yawn.

Who wants to go to the flower market then? My favourite part of visiting these markets in Victoria Park was to see what clever political satire they had come up with that year. Who can forget toilet paper with then Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's face on it?

By not allowing these things to be sold limits freedom of expression and an important outlet for people to release some pressure and frustration particularly in the past several months we have endured. Now that outlet is shut, resulting in people's anger to continue to fester.

One memorable product was Leung Chun-ying's toilet paper

Perhaps we will see food stalls selling dishes with subtle political message on them? Baos with slogans on them? Maybe "yellow" eateries will open stalls during the market or cakes made to look like yellow helmets or Lion Rock.

Anyone else have some brilliant delicious ideas?

Police Logic Hardly Laser-Focused

Super cool light show using laser pointers on the Science Museum last night

At 6pm tonight, the president of the Baptist University Student Union Keith Fong Chung-yin was released from police custody, though he is still suffering from a fever. He was arrested on Tuesday night in Sham Shui Po for being in possession of 10 laser pointers.

On Wednesday the police held their daily press briefing and defended the arrest of Fong by describing the laser pointer as "laser guns". Chief Superintendent John Tse Chun-chung of Police Public Relations Branch said the beams could "flash blind" someone and also cause serious eye injuries.

Police arrested student Keith Fong for having laser pointers

To make their point, the police demonstrated by pointing one of the laser pointers at a piece of paper no more than an arm's length away and it burned in 10 seconds.

During the protests no one is an arm's length away when using these laser pointers. If anything they are more than 20, 30 metres away.

However, the laser pointer they used in the demonstration is the SAME LASER POINTER that they had confiscated from 20-year-old Fong. In other words they tampered with the evidence.

When reporters at the press conference pointed this out, Tse assured them that the police carefully handles evidence in a specific detailed procedure. He added the laser pointers used last night at the Science Museum weren't as strong as Fong's.

Really? How do they know that? Did they check every single one?

And again -- why were they tampering with the evidence? When Fong was arrested, the laser pointers he bought did not have batteries in them. And now the police put batteries in them and used them to claim how dangerous they are.

Police used Fong's laser pointer to show how dangerous it is

How can the police prove that Fong was going to do something malicious with these laser pointers? In a video clip taken by a witness, Fong told the police he and his friends wanted to use them for stargazing.

But the police didn't buy his explanation and arrested Fong, which infuriated residents as well as staff and students at Baptist University, and that led to tear gas thrown at them at the Sham Shui Po police station...

Meanwhile protesters held their own press conference, the second one in two days. They wear hard hats and masks, and are from different age groups, to show it's not just young people out on the streets.

In their press conference today they said it is all and well for the police to demonstrate the effects of a laser pointer on a piece of paper, but how about demonstrating the effects of rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and sponge grenades within five metres.

We want to watch THAT demonstration!

Sales of laser pointers in Sham Shui Po are brisk

These last few days in Sham Shui Po, shops carrying laser pointers are having a bonanza, selling the cheaper ones for about HK$60 a piece to up to HK$150 each. Fong apparently got some quality ones, apparently spending HK$4,200 for 10 laser pointers.

A reporter tried to replicate the same demonstration the police did but was unable to start a fire on a piece of paper at the same distance using a similar laser pointer.

If these laser pointers are "laser guns", then why are shops in Hong Kong allowed to sell them?

The police's lack of logic is completely irrational and illogical. And they consider themselves "Asia's finest"???