Hong Kongers Poisoned by Cyanide - findings from a concerned group
Translated by Guardians of HK(27 Nov)The acrid smell and taste of tear gas is no longer something new for the Hong Kongers. HKGETC, formed by a group of concerned citizens from various professions, detected the presence of cyanide at confrontation sites more than five times the upper concentration limit by international standards using an industrial cyanide detection machine. One of the readings was as high as 28.6ppm. A reading of 4.7ppm would warrant evacuation from the area by European and American standards.
Cyanide can remain in closed space for a long time and it does not disperse easily in a city with a high concentration of tall buildings, like Hong Kong. Tear gas canisters were shot not only in busy streets, but also into civilian homes. HKGETC points out that tear gas can be lethal if used inappropriately. They criticise the police for using tear gas without adhering to its safety guidelines. The situation was made worse by the lack of information on the composition of Chinese-made tear gas canisters. The Hong Kong government irresponsibly admitted they had limited information. HKGETC could have appointed a testing laboratory to determine the ingredient composition. However, under the threat of white terror, these labs fear that they may lose government contracts. This has prevented many laboratory from performing the testing.
Source: Apple Daily, Hong Kong