Hong Kong's Security Bureau has defended inviting Cantopop singer Hins Cheung as a mentor in a rehabilitation project for young people arrested during the 2019 social unrest, amid online backlash from mainland China internet users. The two-year-old project supports about 7,000 individuals arrested but not prosecuted.
Hong Kong's Security Bureau stated that the project invites individuals from various backgrounds to share positive life experiences with the young people, aiding their rehabilitation. A bureau spokesman said: “[Activities] include invitations by the Security Bureau for interested individuals, regardless of their background or sector, to participate in sharing and exchanges with those young people, so as to share positive life experiences.” The spokesman added: “These efforts have provided them with an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and start afresh.”
A sharing session featuring Hins Cheung was scheduled for this Tuesday, as confirmed earlier by his manager. Some young people arrested during the 2019 unrest have been invited to attend. The bureau spokesman declined to provide further details of the event. The South China Morning Post also approached the Hong Kong United Youth Association, the session's organiser, for comment.
Internet users on Weibo in mainland China have slammed the decision to make Hins Cheung a mentor. The project, running for two years, targets about 7,000 people arrested during the social unrest but not prosecuted, offering rehabilitation support.