Singer-activist Tommy Yuen arrested under national security law

Singer-activist Tommy Yuen Man-on was arrested by the national security police on Tuesday for publishing “seditious” remarks on social media, with intent to incite citizens' hatred against the government. 

Yuen, a former member of boyband E-kids, has been an activist supporting the pro-democracy camp over the past few years and at the height of the 2019 social unrest. He led the Human Rights Day Rally on December 8, 2019. 

Senior Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah of the police's national security department said a 41-year-old male singer – understood to be Yuen – and a 20-year-old jobless man were arrested in Sha Tin and Tin Shui Wai respectively. Yet, he refused to explicitly spell out their names and identities. 

The duo were arrested for money laundering, while the 41-year-old was also arrested for doing acts with a seditious intention. 

Li continued that the older man has been publishing seditious remarks on social media since September last year, with intent to incite citizens' hatred against the SAR government and the city's judicial system. 

Li said the singer performed a song with the lyrics “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” in an online concert in last November. Li also referred to the case of Tong Ying-kit, the first person jailed under the national security law in July, and said the protest slogan supports secession. 

Police believed the man wished to incite citizens to break the law to bring about institutional changes, adding that he used both graphics and words to curse judges and incite hatred against the judicial system of Hong Kong. 

The man was also accused of teasing police officer who died in the line of duty, attempting to incite public's hatred against the police. 

The singer smeared the government's anti-pandemic measures and encouraged the public not to follow the rules since the city was hit by the fifth wave of Covid-19 outbreak. The singer threatened health experts, and claimed citizens who receive the vaccine would die, according to the police. 

As for the money laundering activities, Li said the singer organized a crowdfunding to support protesters that were charged with rioting last March. Police investigation between March and November revealed that some HK$1 million raised was wired to the bank account of the 20-year-old man. 

Police said HK$150,000 in the account was used for personal entertainment while another HK$270,000 was transferred to a Hong Kong Jockey Club account for gambling.