Opinion | Students arrested in the protests are innocent until proven guilty. A Hong Kong that forgets this is doomed

Young protesters’ actions are the symptom of Hong Kong’s problems, not the cause. What does it say about Hong Kong when Chinese University vice-chancellor Rocky Tuan has come under attack just for speaking up for arrested students’ legal rights?

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Students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong get emotional after a rally on October 3 in support of arrested students. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 9:00am, 1 Nov 2019Updated: 9:37am, 1 Nov 2019

The anti-government protests are now in their fifth month, and well over 2,000 protesters have been arrested, of which about a tenth are university students.

Hong Kong adheres to the rule of law and we all enjoy equality before the law. While there is no doubt offenders should be brought to justice, under the common-law principle of presumption of innocence, law enforcers cannot prosecute without concrete evidence, especially for criminal offences.

More importantly, regardless of the charges, the legal rights of the suspect must be fully protected to ensure a fair and open trial.

In the past months, police brutality has become a main source of conflict in Hong Kong. Excessive force has been used against those who have already surrendered or been arrested. The police force has not only failed to uphold its duty to be responsible and accountable to the public; it now treats people like enemies and even calls some “cockroaches”.

It is no surprise that the public generally distrusts the police. If Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor still wants to restore her credibility, her government must immediately set up an independent commission of inquiry to conduct in-depth investigations and give the public and police a fair hearing.

Young people aged 15 to 22 are the core force of this movement. They are risking their bright futures to challenge the authorities. Whether their decisions are right or wrong, there can be no doubt that Hong Kong has deep problems. These young people’s actions are the symptom of these problems, not the cause.

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