cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/46524461
Not long before he was reportedly detained, Miles Kwan approached commuters outside a Hong Kong train station, urging them to demand accountability for the deadly inferno that tore through nearby apartment blocks.
"We all feel unhappy that (Hong Kong) has come to this and we want things to improve," the 24-year-old student said Friday, while handing out flyers that called for an independent probe into the blaze, which killed at least 128 people last week, with another 150 still missing. "We need to be frank about how today's Hong Kong is riddled with holes, inside and out."
Kwan and other organizers' demands turned into an online petition that gained more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day.
A second petition with the same demands has been launched by a Tai Po resident who is now living overseas.
“Hongkongers demand the truth and justice,” read one note in the comment section of the new online petition.
But local media reported Saturday night that Kwan was arrested on suspicion of sedition by national security police and the text of the online petition had been deleted, showing how under Beijing's watchful eye, dissenting voices in Hong Kong can vanish as quickly as they appear.
[...]
Reporters' attempts to reach Kwan by phone Sunday morning went unanswered.
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Kwan was reportedly detained not long after Beijing's national security arm in Hong Kong publicly condemned "anti-China forces" for exploiting the disaster and "inciting social division and stirring hatred against authorities."
Asked on Friday if he feared being arrested, Kwan said he was only "proposing very basic demands."
"If these ideas are deemed seditious or 'crossing the line,' then I feel I can't predict the consequences of anything anymore, and I can only do what I truly believe."
Kwan and a handful of activists gave out flyers at the train station near the charred residential estate Friday, demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents and a review of construction oversight.
The demands reflected a belief that the fire was "not an accident" but a human-made disaster, he said.
[...]
Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced "relatively low fire risks" after complaining about fire hazards posed by the renovation, the city's Labour Department said.
The residents raised concerns in September 2024, including about the potential flammability of the protective green mesh contractors used to cover the bamboo scaffolding, a department spokesperson said.
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When Britain was grappling with public fury over the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people, the government announced a public inquiry.
Lawyer Imran Khan, who represented the bereaved and survivors in the inquiry, said "the lessons from Grenfell apply around the world" as all governments need to ensure high-rise residential buildings are safe.
Khan said a public inquiry with court-like powers was a better option for the situation in Hong Kong because "an internal investigation will not get to the truth and there will be no faith in it by the bereaved, survivors and residents."
Based on his experience with Grenfell residents, he said, "without justice they cannot grieve."
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Near the site of the blaze a short walk away, a long queue snaked through a park as mourners brought flowers and handwritten notes of remembrance.
One unsigned note left on the ground read, "This is not just an accident, it is the evil fruit of an unjust system, which landed on you. It's not right."
Addition:
Reporting on the the deadly fires, Australia's ABC says that Hong Kong residents are asking hard questions about safety following last week's deadly high-rise tower blaze (video, 7 min).
Honesty, China only recently regained control of Hong Kong. Having not heard much about what ultimately caused it. Outside the complete lack of sensors and alarms. I could have dismissed it as a possible pre existing situation. But as always, the CCP continues to bully and behave guilty.
I mean, Jesus fucking Christ, this is a horrible tragedy. And right now, everyone's heart is going out to all the victims and those who've lost. But the CCP and local related governments are so incompetent and oppressive. They can't even take what could be a reasonable win for them and actually help the people they're supposed to be serving. Attacking the victims more instead. Really makes you wonder how many more tall ticking time bombs there might be. Throughout Hong Kong or the rest of China.