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| Hong Kong Police Detain 9 After Finding Materials for Explosives | Hong Kong Police Detain 9 After Finding Materials for Explosives |
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| HONG KONG — The Hong Kong police said on Monday that they had taken nine people into custody, including at least one member of a “local radical organization,” after finding components of explosives in a vacant television studio just days ahead of a contentious vote on how the city will elect its next leader. | HONG KONG — The Hong Kong police said on Monday that they had taken nine people into custody, including at least one member of a “local radical organization,” after finding components of explosives in a vacant television studio just days ahead of a contentious vote on how the city will elect its next leader. |
| The police linked the arrests to the most strident local voices against the Chinese government. But they did not release crucial details, including the names of the suspects, the identity of the organization or the specific explosive components discovered. | The police linked the arrests to the most strident local voices against the Chinese government. But they did not release crucial details, including the names of the suspects, the identity of the organization or the specific explosive components discovered. |
| The chief superintendent of the police’s Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, Au Chin-chau, said at a news conference that the nine people, five men and four women, were all Hong Kong citizens and had been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to manufacture explosives. | The chief superintendent of the police’s Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, Au Chin-chau, said at a news conference that the nine people, five men and four women, were all Hong Kong citizens and had been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to manufacture explosives. |
| He said that two of the suspects were arrested Sunday night in Sai Kung, a suburban area in the New Territories of Hong Kong, where they were “planning to test” the explosiveness of some chemical ingredients, which he did not identify. In a subsequent home search, the police seized “the ingredients of the cursors of TATP, a form of high explosive,” he said, adding that a small amount of it could destroy a car. | He said that two of the suspects were arrested Sunday night in Sai Kung, a suburban area in the New Territories of Hong Kong, where they were “planning to test” the explosiveness of some chemical ingredients, which he did not identify. In a subsequent home search, the police seized “the ingredients of the cursors of TATP, a form of high explosive,” he said, adding that a small amount of it could destroy a car. |
| “Someone claims to be the member of a local radical organization,” Superintendent Au said, referring to one of the suspects. | “Someone claims to be the member of a local radical organization,” Superintendent Au said, referring to one of the suspects. |
| Ng Wai-hon, a superintendent, said the police had seized more than 22 pounds of chemicals related to explosives from the former television studio. The studio, which has been abandoned for several years, is covered by graffiti and frequented by paintball enthusiasts. | |
| The police also confiscated about half a gallon of a liquid confirmed to be a major component of TATP, a highly unstable explosive, from the home of one suspect, Superintendent Ng said. | |
| The police declined to name the radical group that was mentioned or whether the suspects were believed to have political motives, but they had found maps of Admiralty, the location of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and the government headquarters, as well as the nearby Wan Chai area, a commercial district home to Police Headquarters. | The police declined to name the radical group that was mentioned or whether the suspects were believed to have political motives, but they had found maps of Admiralty, the location of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and the government headquarters, as well as the nearby Wan Chai area, a commercial district home to Police Headquarters. |
| There is a possibility that “this group of people might want to do something in that particular location,” Superintendent Au said. | There is a possibility that “this group of people might want to do something in that particular location,” Superintendent Au said. |
| Police searches of suspects’ homes found computers and mobile devices storing sketches of an explosive device and the formula for making smoke grenades, Superintendent Au said. The police also found several air rifles that would be inspected for legality, he said. | Police searches of suspects’ homes found computers and mobile devices storing sketches of an explosive device and the formula for making smoke grenades, Superintendent Au said. The police also found several air rifles that would be inspected for legality, he said. |
| At a news conference on Monday, police displayed the air rifles, Guy Fawkes masks and fliers printed with slogans advocating “localism” that were found in the home searches. | At a news conference on Monday, police displayed the air rifles, Guy Fawkes masks and fliers printed with slogans advocating “localism” that were found in the home searches. |
| Groups championing the localism cause generally call for a free election of the city’s leader and reject the growing influence of mainland China in the city. Some of their members have confronted mainland Chinese shoppers in earlier protests. | |
| Alan Leong, leader of the more mainstream pro-democracy Civic Party, said that he found the police’s announcement “peculiar.” | Alan Leong, leader of the more mainstream pro-democracy Civic Party, said that he found the police’s announcement “peculiar.” |
| “It did not identify any particular person, or persons, that had anything to do with the making of the alleged explosives,” he said. “And it also left blank the motive of this group.” | “It did not identify any particular person, or persons, that had anything to do with the making of the alleged explosives,” he said. “And it also left blank the motive of this group.” |
| “It really leaves many unanswered questions,” he said, adding that people should be wary of attempts to tarnish democracy supporters. “We should be guarded especially when such an announcement came at such a time, which is highly sensitive.” | “It really leaves many unanswered questions,” he said, adding that people should be wary of attempts to tarnish democracy supporters. “We should be guarded especially when such an announcement came at such a time, which is highly sensitive.” |
| The arrests occurred at the beginning of a week of scheduled demonstrations outside the city’s legislature against a Beijing-backed plan to change the method of selecting Hong Kong’s top leader in 2017. Under a ruling handed down by the Chinese government last August, candidates in the election — the first direct balloting for the city’s chief executive — must first be vetted by a committee dominated by Beijing loyalists. | The arrests occurred at the beginning of a week of scheduled demonstrations outside the city’s legislature against a Beijing-backed plan to change the method of selecting Hong Kong’s top leader in 2017. Under a ruling handed down by the Chinese government last August, candidates in the election — the first direct balloting for the city’s chief executive — must first be vetted by a committee dominated by Beijing loyalists. |
| A bill that would make the ruling into law in Hong Kong is scheduled to be presented to the local legislature on Wednesday, with a vote expected within days. | A bill that would make the ruling into law in Hong Kong is scheduled to be presented to the local legislature on Wednesday, with a vote expected within days. |
| Demanding wider public participation in the nominating process, pro-democracy members of the legislature have promised to block the proposal. That would continue the existing system, under which a committee of 1,200 people votes for the chief executive. | Demanding wider public participation in the nominating process, pro-democracy members of the legislature have promised to block the proposal. That would continue the existing system, under which a committee of 1,200 people votes for the chief executive. |
| Political analysts have said that unrest may follow if the government manages to muster enough votes to pass the bill, which would require at least four of the 27 pro-democracy legislators to go back on their promises. | Political analysts have said that unrest may follow if the government manages to muster enough votes to pass the bill, which would require at least four of the 27 pro-democracy legislators to go back on their promises. |
| In light of possible confrontations, the legislature has put up metal fences around entrances to its building, and the police have warned protesters not to take “any violent or aggressive action.” | In light of possible confrontations, the legislature has put up metal fences around entrances to its building, and the police have warned protesters not to take “any violent or aggressive action.” |
| On Sunday, Carrie Lam, the No. 2 official of the Hong Kong government, expressed worries about potential violence during the demonstrations this week and urged moderate protesters to remain peaceful. | On Sunday, Carrie Lam, the No. 2 official of the Hong Kong government, expressed worries about potential violence during the demonstrations this week and urged moderate protesters to remain peaceful. |
| “We’ve seen radicals trying to mobilize people online to carry out more violent behaviors,” she told reporters after a radio program. “I appeal to those who want to join the rallies outside the Legislative Council building to steer clear of those people.” | “We’ve seen radicals trying to mobilize people online to carry out more violent behaviors,” she told reporters after a radio program. “I appeal to those who want to join the rallies outside the Legislative Council building to steer clear of those people.” |
| Pro-democracy lawmakers played down the likelihood of any violence during the protests and voting this week. | Pro-democracy lawmakers played down the likelihood of any violence during the protests and voting this week. |
| “I think this is a rather isolated incident,” said Albert Ho, a legislator. “I have not heard of a case of intended violence for political purposes since the ’67 riots in Hong Kong, when local communists confronted police and the colonial administration.” | |
| Steve Vickers, the chief executive of SVA, a political and corporate risk consultancy in Hong Kong, and a former head of the Royal Hong Kong Police Criminal Intelligence Bureau, said the explosive the suspects were accused of conspiring to manufacture would be difficult to handle. | Steve Vickers, the chief executive of SVA, a political and corporate risk consultancy in Hong Kong, and a former head of the Royal Hong Kong Police Criminal Intelligence Bureau, said the explosive the suspects were accused of conspiring to manufacture would be difficult to handle. |
| “TATP is not easily available in a finished state, but the Internet and YouTube make it easy to come up with the ingredients,” Mr. Vickers said. Unless they are experts, he said, the people accused of possessing the material “probably present a greater threat to themselves than the public if they try and transport this material.” | “TATP is not easily available in a finished state, but the Internet and YouTube make it easy to come up with the ingredients,” Mr. Vickers said. Unless they are experts, he said, the people accused of possessing the material “probably present a greater threat to themselves than the public if they try and transport this material.” |