cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/47179958

The Hong Kong authorities’ reaction to a deadly fire that raged through a high-rise apartment complex killing at least 159 people last month did not only include rescuing survivors and addressing the disaster but also a sweeping crackdown on those who dared to raise questions.

This chilling move is yet another sign of the increasing mainlandization of Hong Kong, where disasters, man-made and natural, are most often met with arbitrary detentions, censorship and harassment of anyone who strays from the Chinese Communist Party’s chosen narrative.

In the days after the tragedy, the Hong Kong authorities:

• kicked out volunteers who were distributing aid at the disaster site;
• arrested a 71-year-old man for posting a critical comment online;
• detained a student on "sedition" charges who had launched a petition callling for accountability; and,
• directly copying from China’s playbook, accused foreign anti-China forces of spreading rumours.

[...]

Questions that need answers

• Before the fire broke out on 26 November 2025 in Wong Fuk Court, some residents had opposed a planned renovation project over soaring repair costs and an opaque tendering system. Despite this, the renovation went ahead anyway in July 2024.

• For more than a year, residents warned the authorities that the netting and polystyrene materials used on building exteriors as part of the renovation work, were flammable. The government first said there were “no strict rules” on such materials, then later concluded the fire risk was “relatively low.”

• Labour and fire departments issued multiple notices demanding safety improvements but these warnings were not enforced.

• In the wake of the fire, investigators found that the netting failed fire-safety standards. To date, 13 people have been arrested on manslaughter charges in connection with the blaze— including contractors and a consultant.

[...]