Name: Hong Kong fire critics detained under National Security Law
Uploaded: 2025-12-02T18:11:58.230Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: As anger in Hong Kong mounts over the deadliest fires in 70 years, some of those demanding answers have been detained under the China-imposed National Security Law.

As anger in Hong Kong mounts over the deadliest fires in 70 years, some of those demanding answers have been detained under the China-imposed National Security Law.

Hong Kong Island

Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested more than a dozen people on suspicion of manslaughter following a fire at Wong Fook Court that killed over 150 people. The government has launched an independent investigation and cited substandard renovation materials as a factor in the rapid spread of the fire.

In the aftermath, police have also detained individuals calling for greater accountability, including a student activist and a former district councillor, under the National Security Law. The incident has highlighted reduced space for free expression in Hong Kong, with many residents self-censoring amid uncertainty about permissible speech, especially ahead of upcoming legislative elections under new 'patriots-only' rules.

Hong Kong fire critics detained under National Security Law

Mourners continue to gather outside the charred towers of Hong Kong's Wong Fook Court. The grief is still raw. But frustration is growing over safety failures, warnings that were ignored and government inaction. Hong Kong residents want answers. We cannot say this enough. So I think they can be quicker, they can do it faster. Police have arrested more than a dozen people on suspicion of manslaughter, and Hong Kong's leader has now launched an independent investigation into a fire that killed more than 150 people. The government says substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used in renovation works helped the flames race through the towers. But police are also cracking down on those demanding more accountability. I will not tolerate any crimes, particular crimes that exploit the tragedy that we are facing now. There is a new reality in Hong Kong. Five years after Beijing's sweeping national security law crushed the pro-democracy movement there, even calls for transparency could be labelled sedition. A student activist was detained over a petition. And former district councillor Kenneth Chong was questioned by national security police. People feel there's a red line, but no one really knows where it is. So many will self-censor, choosing not to express their views too directly. Overall, we can clearly feel that the space for free expression is very different from five or ten years ago. It's just days before legislative elections here, now conducted under a patriots-only rule, another reminder of how much Hong Kong has changed. As the city reels from its worst tragedy in decades, a climate of caution hangs over Hong Kong. Grief is permitted, criticism less so. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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