The 831 Prince Edward Incident was regarded as one of the most shocking incidents of the movement since it explicitly presented the unjust violence of the police force toward civilians, whether they were protestors or not, which indicated how the government tried to restrict the freedom of expression and association at all costs. Even though 5 years have passed, not only the lack of binding force, transparency and accountability of the police force remains, but also the suppression towards civilians from the authority through different governmental sectors has enlarged.

At 22:45 on 31st of August 2019, after the rallies and protests (as a part of the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement) requesting the 5 demands [1] in the daytime, quarrels and minor physical conflicts between the protestors and several middle-aged passengers happened in the platform and subway carriage at the Prince Edward MTR Station. The government-owned MTR Corporation then called the police to deal with the situation. Around 5 mins later, over 200 riot police including the Special Tactical Contingent (a.k.a. “Raptors”), with the cooperation of the MTR in stopping all the in-station service, rushed into the platform subway carriages and indiscriminately assaulted the passengers and protestors with batons and pepper spray. Just a few moments later, the riot police requested the journalist on the platform to leave the station, sieged and arrested the passengers/protestors and blocked first-aider accessing to the station.

Due to the untransparent process of their execution of authority and the lack of independent effective investigation afterwards, there is also a rumour of “death was caused” during and after the arbitrary arrest. Until today, some Hongkongers still use their own methods to “commemorate the dead” of the 831 Prince Edward Station Incident.

Despite such injustice remains unresolved, the following prosecutions and convictions of protestors have put the suppression into a more comprehensive way. There were over 50 people being arrested in the station at that night, and at least 22 were prosecuted and 10 were convicted. The charges include “riot”, “Possession of offensive weapon in public place”, “false imprisonment”, “Assaulting, resisting, obstructing a police officer” etc., while so far no one from the counter-protestors side, some of whom were once holding cutter and hammer during the conflict, has been prosecuted. [2]

Other than the selective prosecution, the trial was obviously far-fetched. For instance, on 6th and 27th September 2023, 劉洪發 (Lau, Hung Fat) and 黎卓如 (Lai, Cheuk Yu) were convicted of “Possession of offensive weapon in public place” and imprisoned for 3 months, as layer pens were found when they were arrested at the Prince Edward Station platform. [3] On 30th January and 14th February 2024, 屈君鵬 (Wat, Kwan Pang) was convicted of “false imprisonment” and imprisoned for 4 months, by pulling back an off-duty police officer not more than 2 mins before himself leaving the area. [4]

831 incident memorial
Credit: Qwer132477

Over half of the defendants are being prosecuted 4 years after the incident. It is obvious that the authority is constantly eliminating any anti-government influence since 2019. From the unaccountable indiscriminate assault and arbitrary arrest which violate the right to liberty and security of person granted by Article 9 of ICCPR, to the systematic suppression of freedom of expression granted by Article 19 of ICCPR in general, the Hong Kong government has no doubt needed to be condemned. Although direct (physical) violence has diminished from the public eye, it converted into indirect violence, deepening the harm to the civic society in long term.

Activists Without Borders urges activists to demonstrate that we will not turn our backs on injustice, even if persecution becomes more insidious. Let us mark this historical day with renewed resolve.

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