After a massive apartment fire that left 159 people dead, Hong Kong authorities are focusing on controlling public opinion, drawing growing criticism. Some say the disaster once again exposed the true face of Hong Kong, where a citizen surveillance system has become entrenched since the enactment of the National Security Act.
According to China Daily and other Chinese state-run English-language outlets on Dec. 4, on the 2nd the Hong Kong Security Bureau said it banned the operations in Hong Kong of the Canada-based "Hong Kong Parliament" and the Taiwan-based "Hong Kong Alliance for Democracy and Independence." A Security Bureau Spokesperson stressed, "They have been immediately designated as 'proscribed organizations,' and avoid participating in or becoming involved in all activities of these organizations."
As citizens mourn the deadly blaze that broke out on the 26th at the high-rise apartment complex Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, authorities appear focused on weeding out "dissent." Previously, a former Hong Kong district councilor and one volunteer were arrested for making political remarks, and a citizen-led press conference by legal professionals and policy experts was abruptly canceled after police questioned the organizers. State media are also running warnings that some civic activities could be tied to political aims, bolstering the authorities' vigilance.
The New York Times (NYT) analyzed that since the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen in June 1989, the Chinese government has been extremely wary that collective mourning could morph into political action. In response, authorities have treated the 48–72 hours immediately after a disaster as a golden time for controlling public opinion, and similar patterns played out after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the 2015 Tianjin port explosion, and an apartment fire during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2022.
Minxin Pei, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College, said, "The Chinese Communist Party learned after Tiananmen that it cannot sit on its hands until situations deteriorate," adding, "When an incident happens, the government tries to resolve it as quickly as possible."
The same pattern is being replayed in Hong Kong, which is effectively under China's sway. In Hong Kong as well, protests in 2019 against the Extradition Bill—allowing Hong Kong residents who committed crimes to be sent to China—spread into pro-democracy demonstrations. That became the decisive reason for the enactment of Hong Kong's National Security Act the following year.
Because this fire is the first major disaster in Hong Kong since the National Security Act took effect, some analysts say it has become a touchstone for how much civil society has been cowed. The NYT reported that while Hong Kong authorities have fully internalized a Beijing-style control system, citizens still share a sense of community by expressing condolences on social media and at the scene, and by pushing for rescue efforts and fact-finding.
Chung Ching Kwong, a lead analyst at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), noted, "The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are extremely fearful of citizens forming and sharing a collective identity," adding, "But this disaster showed that Hong Kong citizens are not tamed by the government and can exert solidarity at any time."