The Commissioner of Correctional Services talks about the National Security Prisoners again: being welcomed by heroes is like a terrorist organization's retreat from prison

The English-language media "South China Morning Post" published an interview with the Commissioner of Correctional Services Hu Yingming on Saturday (11), stating that people in custody who committed crimes of national security have established contacts with outsiders, incited rebellion in prison, and spread hatred towards the central government and the Hong Kong government , Persons in custody may end up endangering national security.

He specifically mentioned that Yuan Jiawei, former member of the Southern District District Council, received a heroic welcome from prison friends in prison, and emphasized the need to prevent some prisoners from recruiting members in prison like foreign terrorist organizations.

The prison guards some prisoners around the clock, as they did for the triad leader.

Since the anti-amendment riots in 2019 and the introduction of the Hong Kong National Security Law last year, about 900 people, including the founder of Next Media, Li Zhiying, have been imprisoned or remanded.

As of this month, about 400 people are still in correctional institutions.

In an interview with "Nam Morning", Hu Yingming said that these prisoners were detained separately to prevent them from contacting each other, but they could still cause problems and influence others, so they were placed under close monitoring, "not only strangling in the bud, but also Stop them from sowing. Prison is not a place for them to cultivate ideology."

Behave like a follower like never seen before in prison

On September 2, the former Southern District Councillor Yuan Jiawei, who was detained in Luohu Correctional Institution pending trial due to the National Security Law, was punished along with five other people for possession of prohibited items such as hairpins and chocolate.

It triggered a collective protest by 18 inmates. Eventually, the Correctional Services Department had to dispatch the "Black Panther Troops" to deal with it. Hu Yingming personally came to command the scene.

Huzhi, contraband may seem trivial, but it can be used to buy friendship in prison. If no action is taken, the next time the number of angry prisoners will change from 18 to 180.

Hu said that the incident proved that Yuan Jiawei received strong support in prison, and it was not the first time that she caused an incident.

When Yuan Jiawei was taken back to the Luohu Detention Center after serving his sentence in another correctional institution on the June 4th rally case a month ago, five prisoners hugged her and held cards to welcome her.

Hu Yingming said that this went beyond the expression of pure friendship, but showed that other prisoners "subconsciously" followed her.

"This is unprecedented. It's like a terrorist organization recruiting followers. They help you play tricks in prison and track you after you are released," he said. "Like the underworld, ideology is not promoted at first. Hiring people. , Take care of them, gradually teach these followers how the underworld works, and begin to spread ideology. Subtly."

Yuan was fined 10 days in solitary confinement for embracing the incident.

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Visit to prison to encourage resistance: After being released from prison, you can work in the "yellow economic circle"

Hu Yingming also talked about the frantic and frequent prison visits by religious figures and opposition district councilors before the Covid-19 outbreak last year.

The number of visits increased nearly five times from 415 in 2019 to 1,897 in the first seven months of last year.

Four months after Hu Yingming stopped all non-emergency official visits, the number dropped to only 88.

District councillors complained that the restrictions prevented them from performing their duties and deprived persons in custody of the right to seek help.

Hu Yingming accused these visitors of encouraging prisoners to continue fighting in prison. Some people told prisoners that they would not have to worry about work after they were released from prison. They could find jobs in the "yellow economic circle" and even served as assistants to district councillors with a monthly salary of up to HK$30,000; they also promised to help prisoners. File a complaint and let the media pay attention to their living conditions in prison.

"They turned these prisoners into special or privileged groups and put them under their umbrella. As a result, some prisoners intimidated the guards.... The prisoners demand hierarchy, and whoever has power follows. This is how the vicious circle begins." Hu warned that he must intervene as soon as possible, otherwise the detainees may stir up hatred, instigate others to strike, and even riots. The correctional department is ready to face slander and personal attacks for this.

The Correctional Services Department dispatched a regional response team to Lo Wu Correctional Institution to provide support (photograph)

Deng Bingqiang blasted the prisoners to sow the National Security 612 Fund: Regret for misinterpretation by officials. Tibetan food, lipstick, hairpins cause riots. Commissioner of Correctional Services: The prison cannot be turned into an anti-Chinese chaos in Hong Kong. 10th Correctional Services Department does not comment