Robert Olsen, Forbes Staff
From Hong Kong, I cover the news during the business day in Asia. FULL BIO
10/15/2014 @ 5:13AM |285 views
Hong Kong Police Shown Beating Defenseless Protester
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A sickening video of Hong Kong police beating a bound and prone protester has sparked outrage this morning. In the footage carried by local broadcaster TVB, Ken Tsang, a pro-democracy protester and member of the Civic Party, is seen being taken by a group of plain clothes policemen into a dark corner, and then kicked and hit repeatedly, as he lay on the ground offering no resistance. Tsang suffered multiple injuries to his head and abdomen, many of which appeared to be from the blows of a hard, round object that may have been a police baton.
The attack, which lasted for about 4 minutes, took place as the police were trying to disperse a crowd of protesters outside the chief executive’s office on Lung Wo Road. Late last night, the protesters had taken over the road and began erecting makeshift barriers to stop traffic. The police, initially outnumbered and forced out of the tunnel, dispersed the crowd with pepper spray and later arrested 45 people.
Click for full photo gallery: Ken Tsang being led away by pVoice: sang being led away by police.
A statement from the organizers of the Occupy Central movement stated, “The protester, Ken Tsang Kin Chiu, was at that point under constraint and was in no position to fight back, much less prevent any clearance action on the part of the police, or pose any threat. Before a court acts, any person is presumed innocent. It is absolutely wrong for law enforcement officers to mete out extrajudicial punishment against any citizen.”
From the government, Secretary forSecurity Lai Tung-kwok told lawmakers the officers would be redeployed to other duties as an investigation is carried out, but he wasn’t able to confirm if they would be suspended nor could he conform how many officers were involved.
“The Complaints Against Police Office has received complaint and will handle it in accordance with the established procedures in a fair and impartial manner,” said a statement issued from the Security Department this morning.
The image of Hong Kong’s police force has plunged to a new low since the Occupy movement began. When riot police used tear gas and pepper spray on protesters two weeks ago, thousands of people filled the streets to show their support for the demonstration. Later, the police was accused of largely standing by as about 200 triad members attacked pro-democracy protesters in Mong Kok, one of the three sites where the protesters are camping out.
Speaking in the city’s Legislative Council this morning, pan-democrat lawmaker Wu Che-wai said, “The police have become a tool for political suppression…And last night, they were seen taking the laws into their hands by assaulting the demonstrators.”
The sight of multiple officers committing the apparent assault, as their colleagues not only failed to stop the abuse but appeared to be abetting it by acting as lookouts, could fuel further protests. Already the images of last night’s violence have been spreading rapidly through social media.
Over the past two days, police have been clearing some of the barricades around the protest sites, allowing a number of roads to be reopened to traffic. At the same time, government officials have refused to meet with student leaders of the movement.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertolsen/2014/10/15/hong-kong-police-shown-beating-defenceless-protester/
