Cameraman's Violent Arrest 'strange': Teresa Cheng

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng said on Friday that she hopes a Now TV cameraman who was roughed up by police in Beijing on Wednesday is recovering and has since "calmed down", describing the incident as "very strange".

Cheng said it was hard to imagine how such a thing could have happened.

Speaking to reporters after attending a function, she said the SAR government is very concerned about the incident, and is following up the matter with mainland authorities.

Chui Chun-ming was detained for several hours after being manhandled to the ground by five police officers as he registered his press details to cover a hearing involving human rights lawyer Xie Yanyi. Xie was one of hundreds of lawyers and activists rounded up by mainland authorities in 2015.

Chui was bloodied and bruised by the time officers bundled him into a police van. They later released him and took him to hospital for treatment.

The violent incident came just four days after a Cable TV reporter from Hong Kong was attacked by two men while working in Sichuan province.

Former lawmaker and Democratic Party chairwoman, Emily Lau, said she found Teresa Cheng's comments on the Beijing arrest to be "strange".

Lau told RTHK's Priscilla Ng that Hong Kong journalists are quite used to being subjected to violence on the mainland and it's time for the SAR government to stand up for the rights of the city's people.

"It's ridiculous for Hong Kong journalists to be beaten up like that. That barbaric behaviour was seen around the world and people who saw it were horrified. So I think they will be very, very shocked when they hear the secretary for justice saying it was strange," Lau said.