No Pinoys injured in Hong Kong protests – DFA

MANILA, Philippines - No Filipinos were involved in pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong or were injured in the dispersal operations by police, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

“Based on the latest report of our Consulate General in Hong Kong, there are no Filipinos injured or participated or involved in the demonstrations,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press briefing.

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong issued yesterday an advisory urging the estimated 185,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong as well as visiting Filipino nationals to avoid venues of demonstrations.

Occupy Central, a civil disobedience campaign calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, officially began last Sunday around the government complex in Tamar, Admiralty.

“The Filipino community and the visiting Filipino nationals in Hong Kong SAR are advised to avoid venues of these protest actions particularly in the areas of Central, Admiralty, Tim Mei Avenue, Lung Wui Road, Causeway Bay, Mongkok, Wan Chai, and the government headquarters in Tamar to ensure your safety and avoid being inadvertently perceived as being part of the protest actions,” the advisory read.

The Public Order Ordinance of Hong Kong imposes severe sanction against disruption of public order. Anyone found guilty of violating the law can be fined HK$5,000 and/or imprisoned for 12 months.

Filipinos are also advised to spend their holidays on Oct.1-2 away from the Admiralty and nearby areas.

The student-led pro-democracy protesters want China to give the former British colony full universal suffrage, a demand rejected by Beijing.

Television reports showed police dispersing the protesters with tear gas and pepper spray.

“We don’t want to comment on how the government is handling it,” Jose said.

“Our position is that we hope both sides will express their views in a peaceful manner,” he added.

Meanwhile, an organization of Asian migrant workers yesterday condemned the violent dispersal of protesters.

“The right of the people to assemble and protest is being wantonly violated; and activists for democratic rights cannot stand by and watch how the fascism of the HK government unfolds,” the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) said in a statement.

The group, which comprises a large number of Filipinos, also called on the Hong Kong government to stop suppressing the protesters’ democratic rights. It also demanded the release of arrested protesters.

The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) also expressed support for the protesters and condemned the use of force to stop the mass action.

“We salute the protesters for displaying courage and determination amidst state repression. They have called for a bigger demonstration on Oct. 1,” KMU said. – With Mayen Jaymalin