The Alliance for Defending Grassroots’ Housing Rights(“Housing Alliance” for short) is composed by tens of communities including those concerning housing policy, residental organizations from public and private housing estates. The “Housing Alliance” is commited to advocate basic housing rights for every Hong Kong citizens, to urge the government to implement The Long Term Housing Strategy and details on housing policies so as to protect grassroot citizens and satisfy their need for housing and living.
Protests against government amendment on the housing policy
2007 June, The Housing Authourity proposed the amendment on the housing policy, including the abolishment of law to protect residents against undue rent rises, which confine “the rental fee of the public housing so that it cannot surpass 10% of the MRIR”, to be amended in a way that the rental fee will undergo regulation biannually according to residents’ “income index”. After this abolishment of law, the increment of public housing rental fee may possibly rise for 42% within 10 years.
Public housing residents have attempted any ways to contact the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr. Michael Suen to pose an strong oppositions towards the abolishment, hoping the government to listen to grassroot residents regarding to their worries towards the amendment of law. Although Michael Suen acceded Alliance’s request to have an interview with them, Mr. Michael Suen had been back and fill for times and rejected any meetings with the residents before June 13th, when the Lesgislative Council shall proceed to the third reading of a bill on the motion to the amendment of the law. For the stringency of time, the public housing residents have no ways to reflect their opinions to Mr. Michael Suen, but decided to come to his abode in person on June 3rd, and attempted to present to Mr. Michael Suen with their petition letter and quantitive figures after substain rise on rent.
Unfortunately, having been awaited for nearly two hours, Mr. Michael Suen rejected to receive their petition letter. The residents attempted to pose their letter and near the staircase, while on the other hand the Police increase the forces and finally assaulted seven of the resident representative. Some of the police hitch up the T-shirt of a female protester violently ; another resident had his eye injured and was pushed over and with his face bumped into the floor by the police and was delivered to the hospital.
The police had arrested the protesters after the petitions within many days, out of normal procedures. The police had been involved in scouting and tracking for a long period of time. The six of the protesters been accused of the controversial unlawful assembly according to the “Public Order Law”，while two of them were meanwhile accused of Assault on Police.
The Housing Alliance shall not give in to any coercion from the government, which oppress against the demands of the grassroot residents, as well as other marginal minorities. To defend for human rights and protest against the bad Public Order Law, we established the “The Alliance for Defending Grassroots’ Housing Rights resistance fund“, to pay for the expenses for the protesters, including retaining fees. We urge all circles to consolidate for the issues concerned with human rights, Public Order Law as well as grassroot living, and to support us by cash donation.
NEWS REPORT
| South China Morning Post CITY3 | CITY | By Clifford Lo and Chandra Wong |
2007-06-06
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| Legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung and four others were arrested yesterday in connection with a scuffle with officers outside the residence of housing chief Michael Suen Ming-yeung in Happy Valley on Sunday.A police spokesman said the four men and one woman aged between 21 and 51 were arrested for unauthorised assembly and trying to force their way into a premises.
Mr Leung and the four others were granted police bail in the afternoon pending further investigation. About 20 people from the Alliance for Defending Grassroots Housing Rights staged a sit-in at 12.30pm yesterday outside police headquarters in Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, to protest against the arrests. The group had rallied at 9am outside Eastern Court, where Mr Leung’s Legislative Council assistant, Au Kwok-kuen, appeared on two counts of assaulting a police officer. Au, who was one of the 30 demonstrators outside Mr Suen’s home, was arrested on Sunday night, the first person to be held over the incident and the first to appear in court. Au was not required to enter a plea and his case was adjourned to July 17 pending further legal advice and investigation. He was released on HK$500 bail. On Monday, another man and three women, aged between 30 and 63, were arrested in connection with the case for allegedly assaulting police officers, unlawful assembly and forced entry into a premises. None was charged. They have been released on HK$500 bail pending further investigations. Five police officers and one demonstrator were injured on Sunday as about 30 people tried to break into the driveway leading to the housing chief’s residence. The demonstrators were urging the secretary for housing, planning and lands to protect public housing estate tenants from excessive rent rises by capping rent increases in the Housing (Amendment) Bill. Police said they respected the right to freedom of speech and proper co-ordination of all legal and peaceful assemblies, but they were concerned about the incident. “We never tolerate any violence or deliberate and illegal acts,” a police spokesman said. Hong Kong Island regional crime unit is investigating the incident. |
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