Hong Kong police chief Chris Tang says independent probe into force’s handling of anti-government protests would be ‘unjust’

• Commissioner says he will only support the ongoing probe into the force’s conduct by the Independent Police Complaints Council
• But he welcomes city leader Carrie Lam’s suggestion of an independent review committee to look into the causes of the protests

Hong Kong's newly appointed police chief has rejected mounting calls for an independent probe into his officers' handling of anti-government protests, saying such an investigation would be "unjust" and would only incite further hatred against the force.

Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung on Sunday stood firm in his decision against any independent commission of inquiry into the force's conduct, as pressure on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to convene such a panel continued, especially after the landslide victory of the opposition bloc in district council elections.

Speaking on a radio programme, Tang said he would only support the ongoing investigation by the force's watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC).

Any other independent committee probing the role of police would only be unjust, he added.

"For any probe on police conduct, I think the IPCC is most effective. This is because it is familiar with police's operations and is also experienced in investigating allegations against the force," Tang said.

"If the formation of any independent commission of inquiry is intended to target and attack the police force, I think it will become a tool for inciting hatred against police. This is an injustice."

Protesters have repeatedly demanded a judge-led inquiry into police's alleged use of excessive force in dealing with the months-long social unrest. But Lam has rejected the demand, saying the IPCC investigation will suffice. She has stood her ground even though an international panel of experts said last month the body lacked the essential powers to rigorously investigate policing during the protests.

As to Lam's recent suggestion of an independent review committee on the underlying causes of the protests, Tang said it was a good idea. "But any investigation on policing should only be handed over to the IPCC," he said.

Police watchdog does not have powers to cope with scale of protests, say experts

Tang also expressed frustration that, after two weeks of relative calm, violent clashes between protesters and police returned to Mong Kok on Saturday night, as about 200 radicals blocked roads twice in three hours and set fire to a metro station, while the force responded by firing three rounds of tear gas.

"It was unfortunate that rioters came out again last night. They blocked roads, set fires, hurled petrol bombs, and even threw a drain cover at those who tried to remove a makeshift barricade. Their actions may kill anyone at any moment," he said.

He was referring to a video circulating online, which showed a masked protester using a metal object to hit a young man on his head on Nathan Road. The victim fainted for about a minute, his head started to bleed, and a volunteer paramedic offered treatment. By Sunday afternoon, his condition was unclear.

Tang emphasised police had their bottom line, and that, in the face of such violence, they had no option but to fire tear gas.

"We understand that the use of tear gas may affect public health, but in the face of such fatal attacks by the rioters or the use of petrol bombs, we also need to use a relative force to respond," he said.

Most Hong Kong police officers have nothing to fear from an independent probe

Speaking in a television interview broadcast on Sunday, Tang also expressed concern about the rising numbers of students being arrested over the past three months.

"The trend of students being arrested is worrying," he said, adding that 43 per cent of the total number of protesters arrested since September were students, compared with 25 per cent between June and August.

He said he believed peer pressure and the public's support for the use of violent methods were the major factors behind students taking part in violent protests.

"I am worried because a section of the public does not condemn violence, but condones it, giving teenagers the wrong message that as long as protesters believe they are right, they can do whatever they want, be it launching petrol bombs or arrows," he added.

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