Hong Kong, Sep 24: China-backed leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said the Hong Kong police forces are under extreme pressure, after Amnesty International accused forces of torturing and beating the city’s anti-government protesters, and also acknowledged there is a “long road” to cover towards normalizing the territory’s turmoil – considered to be the largest in decades.
Lam said it was “quite remarkable” that there were no reports of fatalities during pro-democratic mass rallies from the past three months that took place against a controversial extradition bill that would allow suspects in the city to be sent to mainland China for court prosecution.
Police appeared doubtful over allegations that they beat a dissent during Saturday’s protest, while the report of the Amnesty suggested the Hong Kong government to investigate the use of multiple forces by the police against the pro-democratic protesters.
On Monday, Police Acting Senior Superintendent Vasco Williams told journalists the video showed “officer kicking a yellow object”, but not a man, in the alley, ruling out police “malpractice” and saying the footage has been “doctored”.
Lam said though she backed police to calm the city’s ramping up turmoil and secure the rule of law, “that doesn’t mean that I would condone irregularities or wrong practices done by the police force”, according to Reuters news reports.
“I know the level of mutual trust is now relatively low in Hong Kong, but we have to make sure that we can continue to operate as a civil society,” she told reporters.
Lam’s statements come following Amnesty call on her authority to probe the use of forces by Hong Kong police against protesters.
“Ordering an independent and effective investigation into police actions would be a vital first step,” Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty’s East Asia regional office, said in an official report.
“Authorities need to show they are willing to protect human rights in Hong Kong, even if this means pushing back against Beijing’s ‘red line’,” the report added.
The Hong Kong leader said she hoped for a face-to-face meeting with 150 civilians that would help bridge the differences, but said: “it will be a long journey to achieve reconciliation in society”.
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