Hong Kong police arrest another suspect involved in assaulting reporter

The Hong Kong police said on Tuesday that another suspect was arrested Monday for assaulting a reporter from the mainland during a recent unlawful assembly at the Hong Kong International Airport.

Fu Guohao, a journalist from Global Times, being tied up by Hong Kong demonstrators at Hong Kong airport. [Photo: VCG]

The female, 23, was charged with unlawful detention and unlawful assembly and wounding, Kong Wing-cheung, senior superintendent of police public relations branch, told a press briefing.

As far, two suspects have been arrested for assaulting Fu Guohao, a journalist from the Beijing-based Global Times newspaper, during the violent incident at the airport a week ago.

The case, along with a 49-year-old male suspected of attacking a police officer, were brought to court on Tuesday.

A total of 179 police officers have been injured since June 9. In the latest case, a female police officer was sent to hospital after being aimed at the eye by a laser pointer of demonstrators while on duty around the government headquarters on June 18.

"We do not accept or tolerate any violence, and we will investigate into all cases impartially," said Tse Chun-chung, chief superintendent of police public relations branch. "It is our duty and commitment to fairly and strictly bring all offenders to justice."

Tse also said demonstrations have disturbed daily lives of local residents as the police have received more than 9,000 letters of complaint during the past two months.

As such large-scale public activities have affected public order, the police will be more cautious in approving such events to avoid the impacts on local residents, he said.

Tse called on protesters to respect other residents and not to go to the airport or form human chains on the street as such activities will seriously disrupt traffic and order.