Controversy Erupts in Hong Kong After Arrest Linked to Fire Petition

Fri Dec 05 2025 23:50:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The arrest of a student following a petition demanding answers on a deadly fire incident in Hong Kong has ignited public outcry and concerns over freedom of expression and governmental responses to tragedy.

In the wake of a catastrophic fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po district that claimed at least 159 lives, student Miles Kwan was arrested for launching a petition advocating for accountability from authorities. Public outrage has surged, sparking debates about the government's handling of free speech amidst a national security backdrop. The incident raises serious questions about civic rights as officials assure a thorough investigation while ensuring no political motives are at play.

When university student Miles Kwan launched a petition demanding answers from Hong Kong authorities after one of the city's deadliest fires last week, he was arrested.

The ferocious blaze had ravaged a densely populated housing estate in the northern Tai Po district, killing at least 159 people and displacing thousands.

As public anger grew, the pro-Beijing authorities warned, repeatedly, against attempts to exploit the fire to endanger national security.

Kwan was reportedly arrested by Hong Kong national security police on suspicion of sedition. He is now on bail, according to local media.

Police told the BBC that it would handle any action taken in accordance with the law and the actual circumstances.

There was also a strong public reaction to the arrest. To some, the decision to arrest him was baffling. To others, it was simply Beijing's playbook, replicated. The Hong Kong government says that it's about trying to protect rule of law in a testing moment for the city.

'A human response to tragedy'

Ronny Tong, a member of Hong Kong's Executive Council, disputed the suggestion that Hong Kongers are being suppressed. The government is trying to be prudent, he tells the BBC.

Regina Ip, another Hong Kong lawmaker, also defended the arrests. Authorities are being extra careful that public anger does not lead to a recurrence of the 2019 riots, she told the BBC's Newshour radio programme.

Among the questions in the petition and being asked by many Hong Kongers include how the blaze could have swept through the buildings so rapidly and whether any government officials should be held responsible.

Kwan's petition, which listed four demands - echoing the five demands, not one less slogan that rallied protesters in 2019 - gathered more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day before it was taken down.

Days later, the city's leader John Lee said Hong Kong would go all out to support victims and investigate the blaze.

He announced a number of actions such as the convening of an independent committee to investigate the fire, a review of the building works system, and temporary accommodation and financial aid to victims.

Many of these were what people were calling for already - and they also formed a part of Kwan's petition.

It's baffling how Miles was [arrested] for asking basic questions on behalf of many residents, which the government went on to address anyway, said Samuel Chu, a pro-democracy activist who reposted Kwan's petition on a separate platform.

This is not a political campaign. It's a human response to the tragedy, he said.

In the past week, authorities have also arrested 15 people on suspicion of manslaughter and ordered the removal of mesh netting from all buildings undergoing renovations after investigators found that the one wrapped around the charred complex did not meet flame retardant standards.

Separately, one woman has been arrested for trying to profiteer from the crisis using a fake fundraising campaign.

China's national security office in Hong Kong swung into action swiftly after last week's disaster, warning that it would take action against anyone trying to instigate black terror - a phrase Beijing had used to describe the 2019 protests.

In a more strongly-worded statement this week, it vowed to punish hostile foreign forces... no matter how far away they may be.

Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, said he would ensure justice is [served] to anyone who tries to sabotage relief efforts.

Asked at a news conference earlier this week why he deserves to keep his job following the fire, John Lee sidestepped the question and instead pledged to take to task anybody who dares to sabotage relief efforts.

No government official has yet resigned nor been arrested over the fire. The 15 people arrested on suspicion of manslaughter are bosses or staff of construction firms, while another six detained are fire equipment contractors.

Some residents have also criticised the decision to proceed with a Legislative Council election, at a time when the city is in mourning. Only pro-Beijing patriots are allowed to contest in the poll which will be held on Sunday.

The issue however, is continuing to dominate discussion at all levels.

Some Legislative Council members made a request for an emergency debate to discuss the fire and post-disaster relief work, but this was refused, with the government saying it would keep its focus on the issue of the fire itself.

In a statement to reporters Lee said, Yes, it is a tragedy; it is a big fire. Yes, we need a reform. Yes, we have identified failures in different stages. That is exactly why we must act seriously to ensure that all these loopholes are plugged... to ensure that such things will not happen again.