Cheng Lai-king

Cheng Lai-king (Chinese: 鄭麗琼, born 1959 or 1960)[1] is a Hong Kong politician who serves as District Councillor for the Castle Road constituency, and as chairwoman of Central and Western District Council.[2] She is a member of the Democratic Party and a registered social worker.[3]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Cheng.
Cheng Lai-king
Traditional Chinese鄭麗琼
Simplified Chinese郑丽琼
District Councillor Cheng Lai-king

She has held the seat since its creation in 1994.[4] Her strongest electoral result was in 2003 when she secured 73.6% (1,625 votes),[5] while in the 2019 elections she held the seat with 51.05% (2,669 votes).[6]

Political career

Cheng served as Bonnie Ng's campaign manager during the 2017 District Council by-election, in which Ng's campaign posters were suspiciously vandalised.[7] In July 2019, Cheng criticised the government's crackdown on 12 June 2019, and asked Chief Executive Carrie Lam to resign, retract the government's classification of 12 June protest as a "riot", and set up an independent commission of inquiry.[8] In August, she released a joint statement along with four other Democratic Party district councillors in the Central and Western District. The statement condemned police officers for releasing tear gas in densely populated residential districts without warning, leading to respiratory health concerns.[9]

Cheng was elected chair of the Central and Western District Council for the 2020–23 term during the council's first meeting on 2 January 2020, with fellow Democratic Party councillor Victor Yeung elected as vice-chair.[10]

January 2020 meeting controversy and subsequent harassment

A Central and Western District Council meeting held on 16 January 2020, discussing issues relating to the police force, was attended by Commissioner of Police Chris Tang with a number of plainclothes police officers on standby at the venue. Cheng requested the plainclothes officers to display their warrant cards; one officer who refused to show his warrant card was evicted from the venue.[11]

Cheng subsequently questioned Tang regarding the number of people who had been "raped, sent to China, suicided (被自殺)"; other pro-democracy district councillors also added questions on law enforcement tactics by police during the 2019 protests. A group of pro-government protesters at the venue, including activist Shek Fong-yau, yelled slogans, and clapped after Tang spoke; many of these protesters were expelled by Cheng.[12] Cheng later said on social media that she received an average of four to five unsolicited calls without caller ID between 16 and 17 January, though the callers did not say anything upon her responding.[13]

March 2020 arrest

On 26 March 2020, Hong Kong police arrested Cheng under a sedition law. She was alleged to have shared the identity of a police officer who fired a baton round that blinded a journalist during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.[2][14]

Members of the Democratic Party, including lawmaker Ted Hui, went to bail Cheng out from jail. When the police requested an unanticipated and unexplained increase in bail money by an additional $5,000 HKD, the party members raised the money in cash immediately outside the police station. Pro-Beijing politician Chan Hok-Fung later uploaded a photo of the scene onto social media, accusing Hui of bribing protesters.[15][16] The accusation was denied by Sam Yip, a pro-democracy Central and Western District Council member. The Democratic Party later released a statement suggesting that the photo could only have been taken from within the police station, and alleged that the situation was orchestrated by police to slander the party.[15][17] Later reports suggested that the Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Council.[18]

On 19 October 2020, Cheng was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, for civil contempt of court through the sharing of the policeman's identity in contravention of a court injunction.[19]

References
  1. "警方指會調查鄭麗琼有否同時觸犯私隱條例罪行". Now News (in Chinese). 26 March 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  2. Timmy Sung (26 March 2020). "Council chairwoman arrested for 'seditious intent'". RTHK. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. "Ms. CHENG Lai-king". Central and Western District Council. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. Louie, K. S.; Shum, K. C. (1995). Electoral Facts in Hong Kong: 1982–1994. Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. ISBN 962-441-519-6.
  5. "District Council Election Results 2019". Hong Kong Elections. Hong Kong Government. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  6. "2019 District Councils Election - Election Results (Central & Western)". www.elections.gov.hk. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. "【區會周日補選】東華選區現多張神秘單張　候選人報警". Stand News (in Chinese). 24 November 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  8. "中西區會特別會議討論送中修例 民主派會前抗議 | 獨媒報導". Inmediahk.net (in Chinese). 18 July 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  9. "中西區民主派再斥警方中上環亂發彈 批建制派「懦夫」不敢開會討論 | 獨媒報導". Inmediahk.net (in Chinese). 1 August 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  10. "中西區議會民主派掌正副主席 6常委會撤增選委員". Oriental Daily News (in Chinese). 2 January 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  11. "鄧炳強出席中西區區議會 主席鄭麗琼趕拒出示委任證便衣警離場 禁撐警人士鼓掌". Stand News (in Chinese). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  12. "鄭麗琼施下馬威 鄧炳強被迫戴委任證". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. "King 鄭麗琼 Cheng Lai King". www.facebook.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  14. "Hong Kong pro-democracy district councillor Cheng Lai-king arrested for 'sedition'". Hong Kong Free Press / AFP. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  15. "隔牆有耳：白鴿黨籌保釋金當派錢 偷拍兼老屈 PoPo煽上煽 - 李八方". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  16. "【Emily】夾錢保釋琼姐 民建聯當示威派錢 疑警拍片外傳 民主黨質疑煽動謠言 - 20200327 - 港聞". 明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  17. "民主黨 The Democratic Party". Facebook. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  18. "【Emily】夾錢保釋琼姐 民建聯當示威派錢 疑警拍片外傳 民主黨質疑煽動謠言 - 20200327 - 港聞". 明報新聞網 - 每日明報 daily news (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  19. Siu, Jasmine (19 October 2020). "Hong Kong protests: district councillor who doxxed police officer 'thankful' after getting suspended sentence". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
Political offices
New constituency Member of the Central and Western District Council
Representative for Castle Road
1994–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Yip Wing-shing		 Chairman of the Central and Western District Council
2020–present		 Incumbent
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