Breaches in Hong Kong police surveillance operations ‘shocking’, says lawmaker James To, warning trust in force is already at rock bottom
- Hong Kong surveillance watchdog finds a 50 per cent rise in the number of cases where police wiretapping has not complied with rules
- Lawmaker James To says findings show people’s privacy and human rights are being infringed upon
A spike in reported cases of irregularities where Hong Kong police wiretapped phones and obtained confidential legal material has not only eroded people’s civil liberties and privacy, but also their trust in the force’s ability to handle protest-related cases fairly, an opposition lawmaker has warned.
The Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance submitted an annual report to the Legislative Council last Wednesday which said there had been a 50 per cent rise in the number of cases of non-compliance/irregularity/incident of officers conducting wiretaps, from 18 in 2017 to 27 last year.
Cases that may have involved legal professional privilege, which protects all communications between lawyers and their clients, more than doubled from 86 in 2017 to 183 last year.
The number of written applications for interception of communications also increased from 1,303 in 2017 to 1,343 last year, according to the city’s surveillance watchdog.
Veteran Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun said the findings were shocking.
“This report shows that our privacy, human rights and right against self-incrimination protected by common law and legislation are being infringed upon, more so because surveillance happens in darkness,” To said on Monday.