Opinion | Incidents show police bias towards pro-establishment groups
Albert Cheng says law and order appears to have taken a serious bashing in Hong Kong as a blind eye is often turned to thuggish activities
Is the quality of the city's law and order in a downward spiral? Last week, a video showing a woman schoolteacher who stood up for some Falun Gong practitioners in Mong Kok went viral and received an outpouring of support from Hongkongers. It shows that the public is becoming more intolerant of the extraordinary behaviour of the police, who seem to be siding with the pro-establishment force.
If allowed to reach a tipping point, these negative sentiments will cause great damage to social harmony.
The incident took place last month. The schoolteacher, Lam Wai-sze, walked past Sai Yeung Choi Street and saw the Falun Gong group being harassed by a member of the Hong Kong Youth Care Association. The police at the scene reportedly stood by and watched the Falun Gong members being pestered, but when bystanders tried to defend the Falun Gong practitioners and scolded the tormentors, the police formed a human barricade to segregate the opposing sides.
On witnessing this, Lam joined in and scolded the police for their biased behaviour in protecting the tormentors. She subsequently crossed the human barricade and was told off by officers.
In a heated exchange of words, Lam swore at the officers. A pro-establishment local publication taped the incident and posted an edited version online in a bid to present the teacher as the aggressor. As a result, Lam and the primary school where she teaches were forced to make a public apology.
Most surprisingly, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, which is supposed to protect the interests and welfare of teachers, only issued a simple statement on the case.