Arrested Hong Kong police have same rights as lawmakers, says police commissioner

Arrested police officers have the same civil rights as arrested lawmakers to choose not to cooperate with investigations, said outgoing Police Commissioner Andy Tsang Wai-hung.

"An arrested person, no matter [whether] the person is a lawmaker or a police officer, is entitled to the same legal protection, which means the suspect still has the right to not cooperate or remain silent," Tsang said yesterday at an Eastern District council meeting.

"If lawmakers have such rights, why not police officers who are arrested?"

Tsang made the remarks in response to a councillor's question about activist Ken Tsang Kin-chiu's allegation that some of the seven police officers filmed allegedly beating him in a back alley during Occupy protests refused to stand in an informal identity parade in January.

The activist's lawyer also said that two of the seven officers "refused to open their eyes ... and refused to stand up" in a "direct confrontation" with Tsang.

A police source said the activist only went to the ID parade concerning the allegation that he had been beaten inside the police station. He did not attend ID parades arranged for two other claims including an alleged beating he suffered that was caught on video.