The Court of First Instance (TJB) yesterday found political activists Scott Chiang Meng Hin and Alan Lam Na Lon guilty of “entering a place with limited public access”, and fined them 3,000 patacas and 4,500 patacas respectively.
The duo each faced a charge of “entering a place with limited public access” and a charge of “damaging others’ possessions” after the police accused them of trespassing in the dilapidated Hotel Estoril by damaging the building’s fences in August 2016.
On August 11, 2016, a banner accusing Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng of being a “cultural heritage killer” was displayed for about 10 minutes over the iconic mosaic mural of the former Hotel Estoril. The banner draped from the roof over the mosaic of the former casino-hotel near Praça do Tap Seac was displayed before the opening ceremony of the city’s Wushu Masters Challenge held in the square in the evening of that day. Tam presided over the ceremony. The banner was swiftly removed by Public Security Police (PSP) officers while Chiang and Lam were arrested by PSP officers at the hotel for their suspected involvement. Both were held overnight at a police station before the police transferred them to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further questioning.
Activists Scott Chiang Meng Hin (left) and Alan Lam Na Lon – both members of the non-establishment New Macau Association (NMA) – speak to the media after yesterday’s announcement of the Court of First Instance’s (TJB) ruling outside the courthouse in Nam Van. Courtesy: TDM
