Amnesty International yesterday urged the police not to use excessive force against demonstrators taking part in the WTO protests.
In an open letter to security chief Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong, Amnesty International Hong Kong chairwoman Si-si Liu Pui-shan asked the government to police the protests with 'sensitivity and in line with international human rights standards on freedom of expression, association and assembly'.
Ms Liu also voiced concerns about using the 'discredited' Public Order Ordinance as a legal basis for policing the protests as several provisions contravened international rights standards.
A Security Bureau spokesman said it was committed to enabling the public to exercise their freedom of expression and assembly and adopting a reasonable approach.