Five men in court over Hong Kong explosives plot

HONG KONG: Five men accused of making explosives before a contentious vote on political reform in 2015 appeared in a Hong Kong court yesterday in a case that triggered concern about the radicalisation of protesters.

The men were arrested at a time of heightened political tensions in Hong Kong, following the failure of mass ‘Umbrella Movement’ rallies to win democratic reform for the semi-autonomous city in protests that were an unprecedented rebuke to China. The five were detained as legislators prepared to vote on a Beijing-backed reform bill on how the city should choose its next leader.

The legislation was eventually voted down by pro- democracy lawmakers because it stipulated that candidates must be vetted by a committee loyal to Beijing.

The court heard yesterday how one of the five accused had joined an anti-government group which had discussed causing ‘chaos’ around the vote.

Local media have previously reported that the group advocated independence for Hong Kong.

Calls for self- determination or even a full split from China grew out of the Umbrella Movement’s failure to win concessions through largely peaceful protests. The five men, in their twenties and thirties, have been charged with conspiracy to make explosives and three of them are also charged with possessing explosives. — AFP