Ex-lawmakers Arrested Over Stinky Liquids, Plant

Three former pro-democracy lawmakers – Ted Hui, Ray Chan and Chu Hoi-dick – were arrested on Wednesday morning in connection with the splashing of foul-smelling liquids in Legco, and the appearance of a rotting plant.

Posting on his social media page, the Democratic Party's Ted Hui said officers came to his home to arrest him, accusing him of creating disturbances that interrupted Legco proceedings.

Police said Hui was suspected of breaching Legco's Powers and Privileges Ordinance and the Offences against the Person Ordinance, by allegedly bringing a rotting plant into the Legco chamber on May 28, and splashing a liquid around a meeting room on June 4.

During his arrest, officers reportedly said that Hui's alleged behaviour had left Legco president Andrew Leung feeling "mentally disturbed".

Chu and Chan announced on their social media pages that officers knocked on their doors before 7am on Wednesday and arrested them over a separate alleged incident in the council chamber on June 4.

The pair allegedly splashed around a liquid, said to be biofertiliser, leading to an hours-long delay to a meeting over a bill to criminalise disrespect of the national anthem. Pro-government lawmakers called the police.

Hui's plant antics on May 28 were also alleged to have taken place during a meeting on the anthem bill, which was eventually passed.

Several hours after his arrest, a post on Chan's Twitter account said: "I am still waiting for police bail. When arresting former and current legislators have become commonplace, Hong Kong's fragrant harbour stinks like farm manure. Go figure!"

Former lawmaker Claudia Mo said the arrests were a “scare tactic” to curb dissent.

"It’s definitely a form of political prosecution, if not persecution," Mo said.

"I will call it a continuing scare tactic on the part of the government. The idea is to rule by fear, and to silence all... It’s not targeted at the legislature, it’s targeted at the entire society, to spread this sense of fear, this chilling effect."

Chan and Chu left Legco when Beijing extended the legislature's term by a year, saying the move was unconstitutional and the lawmakers had no mandate to stay on.

Hui resigned last week along with all the remaining pan-democratic lawmakers following the disqualification of four of their allies.

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