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Hong Kong leader condemns ‘shameless’ culprits behind fake organ donor withdrawals, likens alleged acts to ‘discord, havoc’ sowed in 2019 protests

  • John Lee’s strongly worded remarks come after arrests of suspects alleged to have accessed government system to cancel registrations of others
  • He cites increased number of registrations from 2009 to present as reflection of residents’ support in ‘noble system’

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A booth promoting organ donation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday condemned the “shameless” acts by those arrested over fake withdrawals from the city’s organ donor registry, likening the alleged perpetrators to those who “sowed discord and created havoc” in the 2019 anti-government protests.
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Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the strongly-worded remarks a day after police detained four men on suspicion they had cancelled the registrations of some people, including officials, lawmakers and artists, without their consent.
Speaking before the weekly meeting with his advisers, Lee called the culprits “rotten apples” in society. The wave of withdrawals occurred after authorities revealed they were looking into a sharing mechanism for organ transplants with mainland China.
Chief Executive John Lee admonishes those behind the fake withdrawals of organ donor registrations. Photo: Elson Li
Chief Executive John Lee admonishes those behind the fake withdrawals of organ donor registrations. Photo: Elson Li

“We should speak out sternly with justice and directly rebuke them for their mistakes. All their tactics are very similar to that of the ‘black riots’ and ‘colour revolution’ in 2019,” Lee on Tuesday said. “They used various excuses to sow discord, create a phenomenon not anchored in reality, and advocated these online to spark havoc.

“We must condemn these shameless acts and authorities will pursue legal responsibilities.”

In recent months, authorities reported an unusual surge in cancelled registrations via the Centralised Organ Donation Register website, amid negotiations about a cross-boundary, mutual-assistance mechanism for transplants.

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