Police had no alternative but to use tear gas on protesters
I refer to the letter by Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, the convenor of Hong Kong Shield ("Police must work to restore public trust after tear gas attack", November 7), which showed Mr Wong's misunderstanding of police work.
Police have established stringent guidelines on the use of force. Depending on the prevailing circumstances and risk assessment, the use of force is such that only the minimum force necessary to achieve the purpose may be used.
Once that purpose has been achieved, the use of such force shall cease.
On September 28, a large number of protesters charged the police cordon lines. After repeated warnings, police officers used the minimum force, including pepper spray and batons.
However, as the protesters did not stop, police had no alternative but to resort to tear gas to prevent them from further charging police lines and to create a safe distance between police officers and protesters so as to avoid more injuries during the confrontations.
Combating triads is one of the force's top priorities. It is an unfounded accusation that police had colluded with triads. If anyone commits illegal acts, the police will take resolute and determined enforcement action in accordance with the law, irrespective of that person's background.
On the alleged assault case involving seven officers and a protester, police take the case very seriously and will not tolerate any illegal acts. The case is now under criminal investigation by a special investigation team from the Complaints Against Police Office. Please rest assured that the investigation will be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
Lastly, I wish to reassure readers that the Hong Kong Police Force continually strives to maintain the hard-earned respect and trust of the public garnered over the years and will continue to serve the community by working to maintain Hong Kong as one of the safest societies in the world.
To do this, however, we require the support of the whole community and for all right-minded persons, as correctly pointed out by Mr Wong, to condemn any and all illegal and violent acts, which can only do irreparable harm to the rule of law in Hong Kong.
