Hong Kong authorities will not “draw a line” on which protesters arrested during the 2019 social unrest are eligible for a rehabilitation programme, the security chief has said, while defending the decision to keep the project a secret until recently.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Sunday that the special rehabilitation programme run by his bureau for people arrested in connection with the 2019 anti-government protests had been operating for the past one to two years.

“We hope to offer rehabilitation opportunities to anyone who engaged in inappropriate acts in the protests,” he said in a televised interview.

“We will not draw a line [on the eligibility] and hope to welcome anyone interested.”

But he also cautioned that authorities would still “act in accordance with the law” when handling arrestees whose alleged crimes were supported by clear evidence.

Tang previously revealed that the project aimed to help about 7,000 such arrestees who had not yet been prosecuted.

He said the programme offered participants career planning services and internship opportunities, including those with government departments, and trips to mainland China to provide a better understanding of the country.