- Chief Inspector Sean Lin had gently tried to persuade youngsters besieging Ma On Shan Police station to leave
- Video capturing incident gained more than 415,000 views in less than a week and also went viral on Chinese social media site Weibo
A softer approach to resolving stand-offs with protesters is "worth considering", according to a Hong Kong police officer who was seen in a viral video gently trying to persuade youngsters besieging his station to leave.
The video, released by the police force on its Facebook page last Saturday, gained more than 415,000 views in less than a week and also went viral on Chinese social media site Weibo.
The clip, titled "affectionate dialogue in laser", showed Chief Inspector Sean Lin softly addressing the gathered crowd from Ma On Shan Police Station's rooftop through a loudspeaker on August 5, in sharp contrast to the tear gas and rubber bullets used during other dispersal operations throughout the past two months of protests against the now-abandoned extradition bill.
"Personally, I hope the situation in the future can be gentler from every side of the house, so there can be more opportunities to use communication methods (such as) advice and warnings, without intense physical contact," Lin said in a small group interview arranged by the force's public relations branch on Wednesday, which was also attended by mainland Chinese media including state news agency Xinhua.
Lin, 47, said he had been a member of the police negotiation cadre for 18 years. The 23-year police veteran added that the decision to use a gentler approach was jointly made between the Sha Tin and several other district commanders, after assessing the situation and finding most of those gathered there were youths.
The violence had not escalated, although some were throwing glass bottles and pointing laser beams at officers, Lin said. "What I said was unscripted, it came from the heart. I spoke like I was a parent advising them to leave," he said, declining to reveal whether he had children himself.
That night, Lin said to those outside the station: "Do you know you are committing the offence of unlawful assembly, which bears a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment?
"I hope you can leave immediately, give yourself another chance and think about your parents who have been supporting you."
Lin then began tallying other offences, including criminal damage and rioting, warning the protesters they could face up to 25 years in jail. At the interview, he also said those who left could still face penalties as police had been recording them throughout.
A quarter of the crowd left after 30 minutes and the rest dispersed when they heard the sirens of approaching police vehicles, Lin said.
"In school I was bullied by a classmate who threw a soft drink can at me. I cried all the way home, but my father told me perhaps the classmate was struggling with his own issues, so I should forgive him," said Lin, explaining that the episode reminded him to be more understanding when dealing with other tense situations and people.
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Hang Seng University student union president Li Cheung-kuk, 22, however, said police use of force should have followed a gradual escalation.
"They should have started with communication and persuasion at the very beginning. This would have been a more reasonable way. So while (protesters) will accept this softer approach, we need to also consider that the government has not responded to any of our demands," he said.
The fourth-year supply management student also said police's recent excessive use of force, as well as suspected collusion with triads in Yuen Long, was what had led to escalation on the protesters' side.
"Only by responding to our demands can the government really get to the root of the problem."
Police have been accused of using excessive force against demonstrators since the protests began on June 9. Most recently, there was anger over a severe eye injury suffered by a young woman at a protest outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station on August 11. Protesters say she was hit by a police beanbag round, but the force is not taking the blame pending an investigation.
On the same day, police fired tear gas inside Kwai Fong MTR station and rubber bullets at close range in Tai Koo MTR station as protesters scrambled to escape. Over the past two months, riot police fired almost 2,000 rounds of tear gas across 13 of the city's 18 districts, but August 11 was the first time it was used indoors.
Police said they used it as the protesters were violent and posed a threat to passengers, but have since admitted they were not experts on tear gas.
Lin, however, said "each situation will warrant different tactics." He declined to comment on the force's overall strategy and incidents at other police stations. He also sidestepped questions as to why the force did not use negotiations and communication more widely in earlier protests.
The officer, who started his police career in 1996 in Wan Chai, recalled his commander then saying: "Police should protect every person's human rights, especially the right to assembly and protest. So to me, I will do my best to make sure people can protest but only as long as it does not encroach on other's rights."
Lin also spoke of losing his father to a heart attack and no longer having the support of a beloved family member. He urged Hong Kong's youth to think of the whole city as their family.
"Hong Kong is our home, give yourself a chance to go home and drink soup and put aside your differences."
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