'Police Inaction In Yuen Long A Criminal Offence'

Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting says police officers who "failed to protect the public" from violent attacks by a mob in Yuen Long MTR Station on Sunday evening committed a criminal offence.

The legislator for New Territories West was among the dozens of people injured when a crowd of white-shirted men descended upon the railway station and set upon people within the station and on board trains with sticks.

The pro-democracy lawmaker was treated in hospital after sustaining injuries, and needed 18 stitches for a mouth wound.

Speaking to RTHK’s Candice Wong from his hospital bed, Lam said he went to Yuen Long MTR Station to try and protect those who were being attacked.

The assaults appeared to be aimed at people returning to the district from an anti-extradition march on Hong Kong Island. However, Lam said everyone in the station was being targeted in what he described as a “very brutal attack”.

He said he called the police, asking them to tackle the "suspected triad activities" as soon as possible.

“Obviously, they failed to perform their duties,” he said.

Lam said the police force should be strongly condemned for not taking any action to prevent the “tragedy”.

And he said there is reason to believe the attackers were triad members, and the police deliberately chose not take action or tackle the problem.

“It is a very serious misconduct in public office; it’s an offence,” he said. “It’s not just an disciplinary problem but a criminal liability they have to bear.”