Macau Security Chief Defends Protest Restrictions, Highlights Crime Statistics
Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, addressed a press conference on May 28, 2025, presenting the city’s crime statistics for the first quarter of the year and responding to questions regarding recent controversies surrounding protests and press freedoms. While acknowledging the right to protest as enshrined in the Basic Law, Macau’s mini-constitution, Wong emphasized that such demonstrations "cannot cause social impact." His comments followed the cancellation of a planned Labor Day protest organized by the Power of the Macanese People, which aimed to criticize the number of migrant workers in the city. While the group alleged police pressure led to the cancellation, Wong maintained that the decision was voluntary, adding that individual interests should not be allowed to harm the wider population. He cited a Spanish court ruling upholding a protest ban due to potential religious conflict as justification for this stance. Significantly, a lone protester was arrested on May 1 for allegedly violating the Law on the Right of Assembly and Demonstration, marking the first such incident in six years.
The arrest of two journalists from the All About Macau publication on April 17 outside the Legislative Assembly also drew attention. Wong defended the arrests, stating that “no profession is above the law.” The journalists were detained for refusing to attend a press conference in a designated room that did not provide access to government officials, an action deemed disruptive to the functioning of Macau’s institutions under Article 304 of the Penal Code. The Secretary for Security reiterated that police enforce the law impartially and that the case is now under investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This incident underscores the ongoing tension between press freedoms and government control in Macau.
Wong also addressed the potential legal ramifications of praising criminal acts on social media, referencing a recent case where a driver assaulted a police officer after receiving a parking ticket. The incident, captured on video and widely circulated online, garnered public support for the attacker. Wong cautioned against such endorsements, highlighting a provision in Macau’s Penal Code that allows for up to six months imprisonment for publicly praising crimes if it incites similar behavior. The driver involved was arrested and released on bail, facing charges of aggravated insult, damage, coercion, and unlawful possession of a weapon, underscoring the authorities’ serious stance on such actions. He is also subject to mandatory regular check-ins with the police and a travel ban.
Turning to the crime statistics, Wong reported a 7.3% decrease in overall crime during the first quarter of 2025, with 3,289 criminal investigations initiated. Violent crime saw a significant drop of 27.3%, with 21 fewer cases compared to the same period in 2024. Kidnappings, robberies, and arson cases all declined by 42.9%, 16.7%, and 23.1% respectively. Ten rape cases were recorded, four fewer than the previous year. This overall decline in violent crime paints a positive picture of public safety in Macau.
Conversely, gaming-related crimes experienced a substantial 61.5% increase, totaling 567 investigations. This surge was attributed to the implementation of a new law criminalizing illegal currency exchange, which alone accounted for 132 cases. Wong acknowledged the challenges posed by the increasing number of tourists and the potential for related criminal activities. On a more positive note, fraud cases saw a 15% decrease, including a drop in phone scams (down 22 cases to 74) and cyber fraud (down 47 cases to 145). This suggests effectiveness in combating these specific types of crime.
Despite the overall positive trend in crime reduction, certain areas remain a concern. Cases of child sexual abuse saw a slight increase, rising from four to five. Juvenile delinquency, while experiencing a decrease in the number of cases, involved a higher number of young offenders, raising questions about underlying societal issues contributing to youth crime. Authorities will likely need to focus on preventative measures and social programs to address these particular challenges. The data presented by the Secretary for Security offers a mixed picture of crime in Macau, with positive trends in overall crime reduction and fraud cases, offset by increases in gaming-related crime and concerns about vulnerable groups like children and youth.