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'Stapled legs' activist Howard Lam is arrested in Hong Kong Hong Kong activist arrested over claim Chinese agents stapled his legs
(35 minutes later)
Hong Kong police have arrested a pro-democracy activist who said mainland Chinese agents had stapled his legs on suspicion of providing false information.Hong Kong police have arrested a pro-democracy activist who said mainland Chinese agents had stapled his legs on suspicion of providing false information.
Howard Lam made waves last week with his allegations, which rekindled fears about Beijing interfering in Hong Kong despite promising it considerable autonomy since the 1997 handover from Britain. But police did not believe his story. Howard Lam made headlines last week with his allegations, which rekindled fears about Beijing interfering in Hong Kong despite promising it considerable autonomy since the 1997 handover from Britain.
“The victim’s reports about his activities on that day and the investigation’s results do not match,” police said in a statement, “At this time, there’s no evidence that anyone was illegally detained in Hong Kong.” But police did not believe his story. “The victim’s reports about his activities on that day and the investigation’s results do not match,” they said. “At this time, there’s no evidence that anyone was illegally detained in Hong Kong.”
Lam, 42, had intended to send a signed photo of the Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi to Liu Xia, the widow of late Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, and posted his plans on Facebook. He said he received a call early last week from an acquaintance on the mainland warning him not to send the photo. Lam, 42, had intended to send a signed photo of the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi to Liu Xia, widow of the Nobel peace prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, and posted his plans on Facebook. He said he received a call early last week from an acquaintance on the mainland warning him not to send the image.
Lam said that on Thursday, unknown Mandarin-speaking men abducted him from a busy street in Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong and rendered him unconscious. He said they beat him and warned him not to follow through on his plan. Lam said on Thursday, unknown Mandarin-speaking men abducted him from a busy street in Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong and rendered him unconscious. He said they beat him and warned him not to follow through with his plan.
He said they stapled Xs into his thighs because he was Christian. He displayed his wounds to reporters at a news conference on Friday, flanked by fellow members of Hong Kong’s Democratic party, before filing a police report and going to a hospital. He said they stapled crosses into his thighs because he was Christian. Lam displayed his wounds to reporters at a news conference on Friday, flanked by fellow members of Hong Kong’s Democratic party, before filing a police report and going to a hospital.
Police said on Tuesday that they arrested Lam on suspicion of providing false information to mislead police after looked into his allegations, including checking surveillance footage from cameras in the area. Police said on Tuesday they had arrested Lam on suspicion of providing false information to mislead police after investigating his allegations, including checking surveillance footage from cameras in the area.
Wu Chi-wai, the Democratic party chairman, said party leaders decided to air Lam’s allegations in public instead of going to police right away because they feared for his personal safety. He said Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party would provide a full account after the police conclude their investigation. “We hope the truth will come to light as soon as possible,” Wu told reporters. The Democratic party chair, Wu Chi-wai, said party leaders decided to air the allegations in public instead of going to the police straight away because they feared for Lam’s safety.
Lam’s case has stirred concerns that Beijing is tightening its hold on Hong Kong, following other recent cases including the secret detention of a group of Hong Kong booksellers and a Chinese-Canadian tycoon whose whereabouts are unknown. In both cases, mainland security agents are suspected of taking them across the border, in violation of Hong Kong’s constitution. Wu said Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party would provide a full account after the police concluded their investigation. “We hope the truth will come to light as soon as possible,” he said.
Lam’s case has raised concerns that Beijing was tightening its hold on Hong Kong, after other recent cases including the secret detention of a group of Hong Kong booksellers and a Chinese-Canadian tycoon whose whereabouts are unknown.
In both cases, mainland security agents are suspected of taking them across the border, in violation of Hong Kong’s constitution.