Hong Kong protests: arrested teacher suspended following appeal from government
- Suspension comes after education chief tells principals to assess risks posed by staff accused of protest-related offences
- Teacher, 31, appears before magistrates on Wednesday charged with possessing an instrument fit for unlawful purposes
A teacher charged in connection with the Hong Kong protests has been suspended after the Education Bureau appealed to his school to consider the move, officials confirmed on Wednesday night.
The revelation came after education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said schools must take immediate steps to ensure teachers arrested in relation to the anti-government unrest did not pose a threat to pupils.
Yeung urged principals to assess whether it was safe for academic staff accused of disorder-related offences to continue in their roles, after the teacher and six students were arrested on suspicion of weapons possession.
They were among 12 people held in the early hours of Monday in connection with the carrying of objects in Sheung Shui that police said included flammable liquid, metal nails and an electric drill.
Following those arrests, Tse Ming-kee, a 31-year-old teacher at a school for children with learning difficulties, appeared at Fanling Court on Wednesday charged with one count of possessing an instrument fit for unlawful purposes.
He was said to have been carrying two pairs of scissors, two pairs of pliers and a spanner at a car park in Tin Ping Estate in Sheung Shui early on Monday.
