Hong Kong announces judge-led investigation into Tai Po fire as public anger mounts

1. Asia
2. China

China’s national security office warns against using fire tragedy to ‘plunge Hong Kong back into chaos’ of 2019, when the city saw massive street protests

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Hong Kong leader John Lee says a judge-led committee will investigate last week’s devastating apartment complex fire, as officials sought to counter rising public frustration over the tragedy.

Mr Lee pledged systemic changes to the construction industry after the death toll in the Wang Fuk Court complex fire rose to 151.

The fire burnt seven of the eight towers in the Tai Po residential complex, home to more than 4,600 people, last Wednesday and over 30 people are still considered missing.

“We must uncover the truth, ensure that justice is served, let the deceased rest in peace and provide comfort to the living,” Mr Lee told reporters at a weekly press conference.

“We want to ensure that we will prevent such a tragedy from happening again.”

Authorities have so far arrested 14 people on charges of manslaughter and corruption – including scaffolding contractors, company directors and an engineering consultant – as part of their investigation into negligence and suspected corruption in a renovation project at the housing complex.

The initial investigation has focused on why the blaze expanded so rapidly, overwhelming firefighting efforts.

Security secretary Chris Tang said that seven of the 20 samples of safety netting, installed around scaffolding for the renovations, failed laboratory fire safety tests.

“We have to expose the truth, do everyone justice and make sure the deceased can rest in peace,” Mr Lee said.

He alluded to mounting public outrage over the fire that has also resulted in high-profile arrests. On 29 November, police detained a university student, Miles Kwan Ching Fung, who had started an online petition demanding an independent investigation into the fire.

Mr Kwan was arrested on suspicion of “seditious intention”, according to news reports. He was seen leaving a police station on Monday, but authorities did not release any information about his case.

“We should turn our anger and sorrow into the power of reform,” Mr Lee said, saying a judge would lead a committee to review systemic causes behind the fire and the findings would be made public. But an “independent committee” could carry less weight and accountability than a Commission of Inquiry with subpoena powers similar to a court.

When asked about the arrests made to quell dissent against his administration, the city’s leader said only that he “will not tolerate any crimes, particularly crimes that exploit the tragedy that we are facing now”.

The inferno, which firefighters battled for 43 hours, has sparked a wave of public mobilisation unmatched since the 2019 anti-government demonstrations, which were crushed under a sweeping crackdown directed by Beijing.

In response, Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have threatened action against people creating unrest in the city.

“Mistakes were made and we need systemic reform,” Mr Lee said. “Anybody who dares to sabotage this commitment to society, we will do anything that we can to ensure justice.”

Across Hong Kong, thousands have visited makeshift memorials to pay their respects to those killed in the fire. But in some cases the authorities have stepped in to disperse large gatherings, seemingly to prevent spontaneous demonstrations.

On 28 November, hundreds of people gathered near Wang Fuk Court to donate and distribute supplies to the victims. Yet as the initiative gained popularity, the government sent in police and demanded that the volunteers leave, according to Human Rights Watch.

It was a day later that police arrested the university student, Miles Kwan Ching Fung. His petition, which made four “basic demands” of the government, gained momentum and collected over 10,000 signatures before being shut down. “If these ideas are deemed seditious or ‘crossing the line’, then I feel I can’t predict the consequences of anything anymore,” he told AFP news agency. “I can only do what I truly believe.”

China’s national security office in Hong Kong issued a sharp warning last week and threatened a “hard stance” against any protests. It warned individuals not to use the fire to “plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos” of 2019.

“We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’. No matter what methods you use, you will certainly be held accountable and strictly punished,” it said.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the blaze “raises serious concerns about the Chinese government’s crushing of what had been Hong Kong’s free press, democratic legislature, and vibrant civil society, and the impact on government oversight and safety”.

“It’s crucially important not to treat those demanding answers for the tragic fire as criminals,” she said.

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