Holiday turned nightmare: Singaporean family arrested after scuffle over smoking in Hong Kong

Sherlyn Sim
The Straits Times
December 18, 2023

A vacation in Hong Kong for a Singaporean family of three turned into a nightmare when they were caught in a scuffle with locals, which got them arrested and taken to hospital, Hong Kong media reported.

The incident took place at 10.25pm on Dec 10 in Woosung Street in residential district Jordan, according to HK01.

Videos circulating on social media show a man in a light blue T-shirt lying on his side as two men pinned him to the ground while a woman stood behind them.

Another woman in a white T-shirt is seen running towards the men in panic.

“What are you doing? Let go! Let my husband go,” she says.

In other clips, several men are seen pushing the two men away to save the man in light blue.

Another clip shows police officers at the scene with batons and shields as they try to break up the fight.

HK01 reported that the scuffle erupted when the Singaporean family was at a food stall in Woosung Street and complained about the man in light blue – said to be a 50-year-old Hong Konger – smoking at a nearby table.

When the family left the stall, the man came up from behind and bashed the 54-year-old father’s head with a bottle before bolting off.

The father, his 52-year-old wife and 17-year-old son gave chase and stopped the man at the junction of Woosong and Pak Hoi streets, where the fight later started.

The four were arrested by Hong Kong police for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, an offence also known as AOABH, and were taken to Kwong Wah Hospital, according to HK01.

ST has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hong Kong’s Yau Tsim District police for comment.