Laser pointers are not illegal in Hong Kong, but are they weapons, and what harm can they do to people?
- The law says any object can be considered a weapon if it is used to attack someone, but that means an umbrella is also a weapon
- Experts say if a beam is powerful enough it can burn a person’s skin and damage their eyesight permanently
The arrest of Baptist University student leader Keith Fong Chung-yin on Tuesday on suspicion of possessing offensive weapons – 10 laser pointers he had just bought in Sham Shui Po – has caused an uproar among anti-government protesters.
Are laser pointers considered dangerous weapons in Hong Kong?
Laser pointers – which police referred to as “laser guns” – are not illegal. But under the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order, it is an offence to exhibit “any light” glaring enough to endanger aircraft taking off or landing. This apparently includes the beams from laser pointers.
Police have hit out repeatedly at protesters for pointing laser beams at the eyes of officers during recent protests.
They say there are various ways of defining what can be considered a dangerous weapon under the law. An object that in itself is not a weapon, but is used to attack a person, may be deemed an offensive weapon.