Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by L_226 2524 days ago
HK police have already uncovered a stash of TATP stockpiled by "protesters" - https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/20/asia/hong-kong-explosives...
3 comments

HK police had made high-profile-arrest followed by low-profile-release on protesters. They claimed to have found an arsenal of protected substances during arrest, and found nothing until release half a year later (weapon of mass destruction, Hong Kong style).

For a case related to earlier protest in 2016, see [1] in Chinese.

[1]: https://thestandnews.com/politics/高調拉人-低調撤案-警方旺角騷亂後-環保倉當-武器庫...

For this particular case of arrest you mentioned, one thing stood out: the supposed “petrol bombs“ were in fact sealed, unopened beer bottles (see the zoom-in here [2]). The correct way to make a petrol bomb needs to replace the content [3]. For all we know, the police have found 10 bottles of unopened beer and claimed to have found 10 petrol bombs.

[2]: https://lihkg.com/thread/1335217/page/1

[3]: https://img.appledaily.com.tw/images/ReNews/20130804/640_13b...

From afar, it is unclear whether it was uncovered or planted. Both make logical sense.

In a place where weapons are banned, it can make sense to construct them. In a time of effective peaceful protest, it can make sense to an authoritarian government to attempt to justify a crackdown.

My heart is with those protesting in Hong Kong: 'Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ...'

> TATP stockpiled

Anyone who knows anything about explosives - knows you don't "stockpile" TATP.

It's a highly energetic explosive that will go off if you look at it sideways.

Storing it? You'd have to be a fool.

Yes I agree. Also note the new in packaging yellow helmets etc, you'd think if they were actual protesters the protest accoutrements would at least be a little bit used (or knowing HK police, shall we say, thoroughly used)