During the anti-amendment incident in 2019, a woman was injured in her right eye at the demonstration site in Tsim Sha Tsui on August 11. Later, media and online information questioned that the injury was caused by police bag bullets and that the woman was seriously injured and might lose her eyesight, etc. .
As of May this year, there were reports that the woman had left Hong Kong for Taiwan, and there were no obvious scars on her eyes.
The incident aroused strong concern from the establishment and questioned that the description of the woman's injury on the Internet was "false information."
During the oral questioning session of the Legislative Council meeting today (July 21), a number of establishment members questioned that the government’s legislation to combat false information is too slow, and the Hospital Authority has not announced the woman’s injury. The aid system is abused, etc.
Among them, Guo Weiqiang from the Federation of Trade Unions even criticized that the Hospital Authority did not publish information on the injured, which was "on the side of the "black violence" in disguise."
Xu Yingwei: The Hospital Authority cannot disclose the clinical situation without the consent of the patient
Chen Keqin mentioned the "eyeshot female incident" during the anti-revision demonstrations. After the incident, there were media reports stating that the injury was suspected to be caused by a bag projectile fired by the police hitting the eye. The exaggeration led to more widespread and intense social unrest. However, in May this year, there were reports that the woman’s eye injuries were “in fact not serious”.
Chen asked whether it has investigated whether someone or an organization deliberately used the incident to release false information, the government has studied and legislated the progress in cracking down on the issuance of false information, and whether it will require the HA to revise its information dissemination policy to allow consideration based on public interest. Limit the disclosure of patients’ conditions to quell rumors, and how to prevent abuse of the legal aid system.
In response, the Secretary of Home Affairs Xu Yingwei pointed out that if some online information is involved in the four major crimes endangering national security, the police can request some electronic information to be removed from the electronic platform according to Schedule 4 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 of the National Security Law.
He emphasized that the government attaches great importance to false information on the Internet. Even if it does not involve the National Security Law, Articles 9 and 10 of the Criminal Offences Ordinance (commonly known as sedition) can also deal with related illegal acts.
He mentioned that the government will review existing laws as soon as possible and refer to the experience of other countries.
He reiterated that the government would "use the law if it is available."
Regarding the arrangements of the HA, Xu Yingwei said after consulting the Food and Health Bureau that under the current policy, the HA cannot release its clinical status to the public or third parties without the patient’s consent, but after allowing the HA to measure it Information related to public interest can be released to the public. As for the legal aid system, Xu said that the Legal Aid Department has a rigorous approval mechanism, which will carefully consider the background of the case, the applicant’s financial situation, etc., and follow the laws and regulations. As for the specific administration, the choice of lawyers and other arrangements , The government will review.
Guo Weiqiang rebukes the impact of the incident on society
Many MPs attacked the HA for not using "public interest" as an excuse to announce the victim's injuries.
Huang Guojian from the Federation of Trade Unions questioned whether patient privacy is more important or dealing with "social disturbances caused by the incident" is more important; Guo Weiqiang pointed out that the government and the Hospital Authority despise the impact of the incident on society, and some people initiated the paralysis of the airport the day after the incident. Acts, continue to disseminate information against the government and the police, and quoted the mainland saying that "spread rumors, dispel rumors and run off legs." The Hospital Authority clearly grasps first-hand information, but does not take the initiative to clarify. "In fact, it is in disguised form. It's on the dark side."
The Deputy Director of the Food and Health Bureau Xu Deyi said that the HA has been fully cooperating with the police in the investigation of the injured woman. He reiterated that the HA had provided the police with patient information in accordance with the search warrant applied by the police in August the previous year; the hospital had also pressed the search. Order to provide information, and then the Hospital Authority learned that the incident entered legal proceedings, so it could not disclose relevant information.
He also pointed out that each case is unique and cannot be generalized, but the HA can carefully consider and publish some information related to the public interest, such as major community accidents.
The Director of Legal Aid, Kwong Po-cheong, first commented on the "Blow-Eye Girl" case: the original rejection of legal aid applications was misunderstood. Ge Peifan questioned the "Blow-Eye Girl" abusing legal aid Lam Cheng: Will review the selection of lawyers and the news that the Girl has left Hong Kong Tai Liang Zhenying 803 fund has increased to 1 million