Ken Tsang says an effective system of checks and balances is more important than trying to improve the relationship between the police force and the public. Last year, Tsang was filmed being beaten by policemen (inset). Photos: HKEJ, Youtube
A democracy activist who has accused the Hong Kong police of brutality wants their powers curbed to prevent abuse.
Ken Tsang said an effective system of checks and balances is more important than trying to improve the relationship between the police force and the public.
Senior officials should be held responsible for the deterioration of public perceptions of the police, he said.
He said the police hold too much power over ordinary citizens.
Tsang became a symbol of the fight against police abuse after he was shown on a news video being beaten by policemen during last year’s democracy protests.
He said he has met the officers and described them as “unfriendly” but added he holds no grudge against them.
The incident greatly affected him physically and mentally and he still suffers from occasional pain as a result of his injuries, he told an interview ahead of Monday’s first anniversary of the protests.
He said he felt lucky that his ordeal was picked up by the media given that others who similarly suffered police brutality have gone unnoticed.
Tsang blamed the media for magnifying the animosity between the public and the police.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice said it is waiting for an opinion on Tsang’s complaint from a Queen’s Counsel.
The case has been pending for nearly one year.
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