Letters | Why Hong Kong must say no to giving police tasers

I am writing in response to your editorial “Tasers alone will not solve Hong Kong’s social unrest” (January 19).

Since the start of the political movement in June last year, conflicts between protesters and police have been commonplace. We have seen how the police use powerful weapons, such as tear gas, beanbag rounds and sponge grenades, to deal with protesters. Now the authorities are considering equipping officers with stun guns.

The use of tasers will not only fail to solve the unrest roiling Hong Kong but could worsen matters instead. A taser is a powerful weapon that may cause great damage to the human body; the shock could even result in death, if used improperly during a conflict.

One of the main causes of the escalation of the civil unrest was the police’s excessive use of force. If the police keep upgrading their equipment to deal with even peaceful protesters, it will only exacerbate the conflict. Moreover, if the use of a taser results in a fatality, all hell would break loose.

The only way to resolve this issue is through negotiation with the public or if the government accepts the five demands of the protesters.