Police question blogger Han Hui Hui over Hong Lim Park protest that disrupted charity carnival

SINGAPORE - Local blogger Han Hui Hui was questioned by police for seven hours on Friday over a protest she organised at Hong Lim Park that disrupted a charity carnival last month, the police confirmed on Saturday.

But they denied online reports that officers turned up at her house at midnight the night before, or that she was not allowed to eat during her interview.

In a statement on Saturday night, a police spokesman said Ms Han is among "several persons" involved in the incident who are currently assisting them in investigations. The probe has been ongoing since a police report was lodged on Sep 27, the day the protest was held.

Ms Han, a 22-year-old blogger and activist, had led several hundred people into another part of Hong Lim Park where a YMCA charity carnival was being held, frightening some special needs children who were performing on stage.

The police spokesman said officers visited Ms Han's home on Thursday at about 9.30pm to inform her of the interview "after she did not answer... telephone calls".

Since Ms Han was not home, the notice of her interview appointment at the Central Police Division in Cantonment was handed to a family member, the spokesman added.

Ms Han subsequently called the division at 11pm the same night to reschedule her appointment to 8pm on Friday. But at 1.45pm on Friday, she called the division again to say she would show up soon.

"She subsequently turned up at about 2.30pm and arrangements were made to accommodate her schedule," the spokesman said. The interview ended at about 9.30pm.

"During the interview, Ms Han was provided with refreshments. She took several breaks but she declined an offer to take a break for dinner," the spokesman added.

The police were responding to media queries after online reports surfaced that Ms Han had been visited at her home by police officers at midnight on Thursday.

The reports quoted Ms Han as saying she had arrived at the police station at 2pm but was made to wait for half an hour before being questioned until 10pm. They added that she was not given any food and was prevented from leaving for dinner.

In addition, the reports said a notebook Ms Han was using to take down notes was taken away, and that she was not allowed to call her lawyer M. Ravi.

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