Independent inquiry into clashes during Hong Kong extradition bill protests would reveal whether ‘foreign forces’ involved, says pro-establishment figure backing statutory probe

James Tien is latest to support calls for full inquiry into June 12 violence between police and protesters

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also told to take responsibility and step down for bungled handling of crisis

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Pepper spray is used against protesters on June 12 in scenes triggering calls for an independent inquiry into what happened. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 9:30pm, 30 Jun 2019Updated: 10:54pm, 30 Jun 2019

A pro-establishment heavyweight has added his voice to calls for city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to launch an independent probe into violent clashes during extradition bill protests on June 12.

The Liberal Party honorary chairman, James Tien Pei-chun, said the statutory inquiry should look at whether “foreign forces” helped orchestrate the demonstrations, which included confrontations between police and protesters.

He also called on Lam to consider a major cabinet reshuffle. But his proposal was rejected by activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung, of the localist party Demosisto, who insisted removing Lam from office was the only way out of the extradition bill crisis that he argued was of her government’s own making.

Floating his ideas at the RTHK City Forum on Sunday, Tien said holding an inquiry would uncover whether there had been overseas involvement in the anti-government demonstrations, and buy Lam some time to repair the divisions in society.

James Tien believes a statutory inquiry is needed to look into how protesters were resourced, as well as the actions of police. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

“The inquiry should not only look into the police action, but also the protesters, say, where did the protesters [get] the bricks [to attack officers]? Who funded the protesters? Was there any foreign force involved?” said Tien, who was a member of ex-leader Tung Chee-hwa’s cabinet.