Hong Kong Photo:Xinhua

Hong Kong police denied that the arrest of Tsai Yu-ling, a director of the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), is revenge for her investigation into the Yuen Long incident on July 21, 2019, nor is the arrest targeting journalists. 

Tsai is suspected of illegally obtaining the personal information of another person by making a false statement during her investigation, which involved forgery and violated Hong Kong's Road Traffic Ordinance. 

Tsai's arrest caught the public's attention as the RTHK platform had made reports supporting local rioters. The police unit that arrested Tsai is the same one that handled the 2019 July 21 incident, leading some media reports to assume the arrest was revenge against a pro-rioter journalist and media. 

On July 21, 2019, a white-clad mob attacked protesters in Yuen Long and the police arrived late. The incident led to allegations that police colluded with the attackers, which the police have dismissed.

Hong Kong secretary for security John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday told the media that the arrest followed an investigation after police received reports and complaints.  

Lee emphasized that the investigation was not targeting journalists and police have to remain fair and impartial and submit files to the Department of Justice for legal advice.

He cited a similar case in August, in which a 51-year-old man illegally released personal information of 1,200 people on social media platforms. The man, who is not a journalist, is also suspected of making false statements to obtain certificates under the Road Traffic Ordinance. 

Global Times