Published 20:00 IST, December 14th 2019
Hong Kong protest: Five teenagers arrested by police over a man's death
Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man who died last month after being hit during the Hong Kong protest
Five Hong Cong teenagers have been arrested in connection with the death of a man who died last month after being hit during the clashes between the pro and anti-government demonstrators, the Hong Kong police informed international media. The accused include three males and two females who are all aged between 15 to 18. All five were arrested on Friday, December 13 on suspicion of murder, rioting and wounding. According to a statement issued by the police, they had been detained pending further investigation.
Second death in a week
The footage of the incident shows clashes between the protesters and pro-Beijing residents during which a man was hit by a brick. The 70-year-old cleaner immediately fell to the ground and died the next day. He was the second person to die in less than a week in the ongoing protest in Hong Kong.
The other victim of the protest was Alex Chow who was a 22-year-old student who died from head injuries on November 8. He died after falling in multistorey parking as protesters and police clashed. Though the events leading to his fall are disputed, the protesters have blamed the police. Thousands of Hong Kongers also formed long lines to attend a memorial service for Chow on Thursday ahead of his funeral.
Chows, death was followed by police shooting an unarmed 21-year-old protester in the abdomen three days later, sparking unrest that culminated in pitched battles on university campuses. Allegations of police brutality are one of the movement's rallying cries.
Meanwhile, Taiwan has decided to provide “necessary help” to the people of Hong Kong after the officials met a student delegation from China’s semi-autonomous region on December 12. Taiwan has repeatedly clarified that it has no intention to interfere in the internal affairs of Hong Kong but simultaneously showed concerns about police using “disproportionate force” against the anti-government protesters.
Updated 20:50 IST, December 14th 2019