Petition for arrest sparks public debate

University student Kwan Wen-Kui was arrested after he launched a petition demanding answers from Hong Kong authorities last week after one of the city’s worst fires.

this fierce flames The attack destroyed a densely populated residential area in the northern area of ​​Tai Po, killing at least 159 people and displacing thousands more.

as public outrage Pro-Beijing authorities have repeatedly warned against “exploiting” the fires to “endanger national security.”

Mr. Kwan was reportedly arrested by the Hong Kong National Security Police on suspicion of sedition. He has been released on bail, local media reported.

Police told the BBC that “any action taken will be dealt with in accordance with the law and the circumstances”.

The public also reacted strongly to the arrest. To some, the decision to arrest him was “confusing.” To others, it’s just Beijing’s playbook, being copied. The Hong Kong government says this is to protect the rule of law at a testing time for the city.

Hong Kong Executive Council member Tony Tong disputed the notion that Hong Kongers were being repressed. “The government is trying to be cautious,” he told the BBC.

Another Hong Kong lawmaker, Sandra Yip, also defended the arrests. She told the BBC’s Newshour radio program that authorities were “extremely careful” to ensure public anger did not lead to “a repeat of the 2019 riots”.

Issues raised in the petition and raised by many Hong Kongers include how the fire swept through the building so quickly and whether any government officials should be held accountable.

“You have to distinguish between a genuine expression of opinion and a petition with criminal intent. That’s what our courts have to find out,” Ye added.

Guan’s petition, which listed “four demands” and echoed the “five demands, no less” slogan that rallied protesters in 2019, gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before being deleted.

Days later, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the city would “go all out” to support victims and investigate the fire.

He announced a series of actions such as convene an independent committee Investigate fires, review building engineering systems and provide temporary shelter and financial assistance to victims.

Many of these are what people have already called for – and they form part of the petition.

“It’s puzzling how Miles was arrested for raising basic issues on behalf of many residents that the government continues to address anyway,” said Samuel Chu, a pro-democracy activist who retweeted Guan’s petition on another platform.

“This is not a political movement. This is a human response to this tragedy,” he said.

Over the past week, authorities also arrested 15 people on suspicion of manslaughter and ordered Remove mesh Investigators found that the buildings wrapped around the charred complex did not meet fire-retardant standards, a condition that has been seen in all buildings undergoing renovations since.

Separately, a woman was arrested for trying to profiteer from the crisis using a fake fundraising campaign.

China’s national security office in Hong Kong moved quickly after last week’s disaster, warning of action against anyone trying to incite “black terror” – a term used by Beijing to describe the 2019 protests.

In a stronger statement this week, it vowed to punish “foreign hostile powers… no matter how far away they are.”

Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Hsien Loong said he would “ensure” that anyone who tries to “sabotage” relief efforts gets justice.

Former district councilor Zhang Guoqiang, who was arrested by state security police, reportedly said authorities had questioned content he forwarded on Facebook after the fire.

“The Tai Po fire is a tragedy that involves everyone in Hong Kong. Many people, regardless of their political allegiance, want the perpetrators to be held accountable,” said the 50-year-old man, who is out on bail but has his passport seized.

“Not everything is about politics,” Zhang said.

Hong Kong authorities are taking measures to deal with the disaster Beijing scriptKenneth Chan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the study focused on social control and regime security.

He noted how authorities replaced community-led rescue operations over the weekend with government-backed groups.

“Officials will not accept the spontaneity of these grassroots efforts because they want control,” he claimed.

Hong Kong social media was flooded with comments about the arrest. Most of them were dissatisfied with the arrests and the government’s response.

“Does demanding the truth count as incitement?” one commented.

When asked at a press conference earlier this week why he should keep his job after the fires, John Lee sidestepped the question and promised to crack down on “anyone who dares to undermine” relief efforts.

No government officials have resigned or been arrested over the fires. Fifteen people arrested on suspicion of manslaughter were owners or employees of construction companies, and the other six were fire equipment contractors.

Some residents also criticized the decision to hold legislative elections at a time of mourning across the city. Only pro-Beijing “patriots” will be able to participate in Sunday’s vote.

Yet the issue continues to dominate discussions at all levels.

Some members of the Legislative Council requested an urgent debate to discuss the fire and post-disaster rescue work, but this was rejected. The government stated that it would continue to pay attention to the fire issue itself.

“Yes, this is a tragedy; this is a fire. Yes, we need reforms. Yes, we have identified failures at different stages. That is why we must take serious action to ensure that all these loopholes are plugged… to ensure that this does not happen again,” Lee said in a statement to reporters.

(December 5, 2025): This article and headline have been updated to add a more accurate attribution of the basis for the arrest and that Kwan is now out on bail, to include a police response to the BBC, and to add more context about the public and government response.