A protester is carried away by the police during the clearance of the main Umbrella Movement camp in Admiralty on Dec. 11, 2014. (Laurel Chor/Coconuts Media)
Secretary for Security TK Lai said protesters’ personal information recorded by the police will be destroyed “upon completion of investigation and legal proceedings”, in accordance with the “established practice”.
He was responding yesterday to pro-democracy lawmaker Fernando Cheung’s question about police action during the Umbrella Movement protests, including the arrest of more than 200 people and the recording of their details.
Cheung accused the government of seizing irrelevant info such as “the schools attended, past occupations and particulars of family members” using a newly created “Voluntary Personal Background Information Form”.
Lai said that it’s standard for the police to take statements against arrestees, and that it is done so on a voluntary basis.
He denied allegations that such a form was created for the Umbrella Movement protests.
The secretary for security also maintained that collecting such information is not in violation of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, since it is “proportionate to the objection of prevention and detection of crime”.
Neither Lai nor Cheung mentioned the personal information recorded by the police during the clearance of the main protest site in Admiralty.
On that day, after giving several warnings, the police allowed people to leave the protest camp before they began the arrests on the condition that they show their HKID.
