Police chief Andy Tsang praises officers' patience, and asks for unity
Hong Kong police chief Andy Tsang has issued a rallying call to the 28,000 officers under his command, asking them to stay "united and resolute" amid a public backlash over the force's handling of the Occupy Central protest.
Hong Kong police chief Andy Tsang Wai-hung has issued a rallying call to the 28,000 officers under his command, asking them to stay "united and resolute" amid a public backlash over the force's handling of the Occupy Central protest.
In an email seen by the and sent early on Tuesday, Tsang praised his officers for demonstrating "extreme patience". The note did not address the decision to use tear gas against protesters on Sunday.
Some police officers had described feeling degraded and demoralised by the operation and the reaction.
Police fired 87 rounds of tear gas into crowds of unarmed people - mostly young students. The onslaught continued into the early hours of Monday and left dozens injured.
In his email, Tsang wrote: "During the recent unlawful assembly at the government complex and its vicinity, the enforcement actions taken by the force have attracted some controversies.
"The senior management fully understands the difficulty of the task, and the complexity of this unprecedented operation. In this very trying situation, you have remained steadfast, demonstrated extreme patience and performed your duties in the most professional manner throughout the operation."
Tsang, who has cultivated a no-nonsense image since taking over as commissioner in 2011, added: "Your unreserved efforts in serving the community in this critical moment are much appreciated by the senior management. I trust we will stay united, remain resolute, and overcome this challenging situation together. Thank you."
The decision to deploy riot police and fire tear gas drew international criticism. It also prompted police to change tactics and adopt a more cautious approach to the protest.
In interviews, several officers expressed anger that they were left to sleep on the streets between shifts, just metres away from the protesters. Photographs of officers sleeping on stairwells and side streets appeared in newspapers and on social media.
"There are officers beginning to bemoan the fact that they had to buy food and water and had to sleep on the street," said one officer, who declined to be identified. "Some are asking why - when there was so much advance warning that Occupy Central was going to happen - provisions were not made for such basic requirements."
Another officer said it was unfair for frontline police to take the brunt of criticism over using tear gas when the decision to fire was made at a much higher level.
The officer also said that having police rest and sleep on the streets was "degrading and humiliating", especially while the force had been locked in pay negotiations for months, which had also damaged morale.
"I guess that's why the commissioner took the step of sending the email," said one senior officer. "There's certainly a fair amount of resentment about."
The commissioner's message was sent through the main police computer system and could be accessed by all 28,000 officers.
Meanwhile, four major staff associations of the Immigration Department issued a joint statement in support of the police.
"Some members of the public may not like [how police] handled [the situation], but they were only enforcing the law." Ngai Sik-shui, chairman of the Immigration Service Officers Association, said.
"We have separation of powers in Hong Kong and if [anyone] is not happy, they can file a complaint or take it to court."
