Police Arrest Producer Of RTHK Yuen Long Programmes

Police have arrested a producer who worked on RTHK investigations into the July 21 Yuen Long mob attack last year which showed how police were already patrolling the town as large groups of weapon-carrying men started to gather, and well before the violence began.

It’s understood that Bao Choy, who's employed by the public broadcaster on a freelance contract, was arrested at her home at around 1pm on Tuesday.

Police carried out a search of Choy's home in Mei Foo and she was taken away by officers at around 3.30pm.

She has been charged with two counts of violating the Road Traffic Ordinance by allegedly making false statements when conducting vehicle registration searches.

Officers suspect the information allegedly obtained was used in a different way than declared.

Speaking after she was freed on bail, Choy told reporters that her arrest is unfortunate in that it might arouse public concern that the police may be trying to suppress press freedom.

She also urged her media colleagues not to let the incident affect their journalistic beliefs and enthusiasm.

Choy is scheduled to appear in Fanling Court next Tuesday.

The licence plate search was carried out to trace cars seen carrying men suspected of being involved in the Yuen Long attack.

The Hong Kong Connection TV documentary titled “7.21 Who Owns the Truth” showed clips from surveillance cameras at shops in Yuen Long and interviewed people who were identified in the footage.

After the episode aired in the summer, around the time of the first anniversary of the attack, police were forced to admit that plainclothes officers had been patrolling in Yuen Long shortly before the rampage took place.

The investigative report showed footage of a man, holding what appeared to be a police warrant card, taking no action as men dressed in white T-shirts pass by him in Fung Yau Street North, some carrying weapons.

The force, which took 39 minutes to send officers to Yuen Long MTR Station after the beatings started, said the plainclothes officers had been in the town to “observe the situation”.

In August this year, police sought to present an entirely new version of events regarding the mob violence as they arrested some of the victims on suspicion of "rioting".

Rather than an indiscriminate attack, the force’s new description of what happened was a fight between two “equally-matched” sides.

This contradicted the police's own statement in the hours after the atrocity which said "some people attacked commuters at the platforms of the Yuen Long MTR Station and train compartments, resulting in multiple injuries".

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