8 Hong Kong homeless men demand apology from authorities for destroyed belongings after each receiving HK$100 in compensation
- Court ruled in favour of group last week, found government had failed to exercise reasonable care in handling men’s personal belongings
- NGO joins claimants in calling for improvements in government’s treatment of homeless population
Eight homeless men who won lawsuits last week against the Hong Kong government for disposing of their personal belongings have criticised the HK$100 (US$12) in compensation they each received and demanded an apology from authorities.
The group accused the government of “trampling upon their dignity” and called for policy improvement to better protect them, with two of the claimants submitting a letter of petition alongside two social workers to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department headquarters in Sha Tin on Monday.
“Although we have achieved justice in the lawsuits, the nominal compensation of HK$100 is too little to cover their losses, not even enough for them to buy a new mattress,” said Ng Wai-tung, a community organiser at the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), which supported the group during the proceedings.
“We want the government departments to respond to the dereliction of their duties as ruled by the court. They owe these homeless people an apology.”
Last Tuesday, the Small Claims Tribunal ruled in favour of nine homeless men who sued authorities after their items were seized and disposed of without their consent. One claimant died in March after contracting Covid-19.
The incident occurred as police and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department carried out a joint action at Tung Chau Street Park in Sham Shui Po on December 21, 2019.
