Hong Kong protests: man gets 160 hours community service over online rumours of police sex assaults on women at detention centre
- Poon Yung-wai, 38, says he made up the claims out of anger at perceived treatment of protesters at San Uk Ling Holding Centre at height of social unrest last year
- He told online users he heard news from police source, and called for people to surround facility to ‘rescue the martyrs’
Poon Yung-wai was spared jail at Eastern Court on Tuesday, having served two weeks in remand following his conviction on one count of incitement that stemmed from four Facebook posts he published between September 19 and 21 in 2019.
The 38-year-old man was the first person to face criminal prosecution over posting provocative messages on social media since anti-government protests erupted in June last year over the now-withdrawn extradition bill.
Prosecutors accused Poon of inciting online users to besiege San Uk Ling Holding Centre by making false allegations against police – that officers had molested and raped female protesters detained at the 80,000 sq ft facility.
Situated in the remote Man Kam To area near the city’s border with mainland China, the centre had been temporarily used to house 182 arrested protesters between August 5 and September 2 last year.
Critics had voiced concern over the treatment of protesters at the centre, and police confirmed last year that 30 protesters arrested during an August 11 demonstration and detained there were later sent to hospital, but denied officers had abused the detainees.
Lo Su-vui, a Hospital Authority executive, later said the 30 were sent to North District Hospital between August 12 and 13, two with fractured bones.
