The Junior Police Officers Association (JPOA) will hold a special meeting to listen to its members' opinions on the heavy punishment of two-year imprisonment given to seven police officers, and then give a report to the superiority demanding to seek justice in this matter. It is learned that attendants will put on the same clothes to show solidarity and light candles to show their care and support for their seven colleagues in jail.
During the 79 days of the law-breaking Occupy Central, frontline police officers in law enforcement had to wash their faces with sweat every day, being on duty day and night. Rioters slammed looter metal barricades onto their chests. They just lay down under flyovers to rest for a while when they were tired, and their meal boxes often were left to turn cold, untouched. Yet they had to watch with their own eyes their colleagues being hurt and cursed by rioters daily. But they endured with dogged will to stand fast and remain at their posts, with no single officer flinching from his duty. Their devoted efforts prevented public order from deteriorating further.
During those difficult days, they had never shed a tear. Today, however, many "tough guys" are crying, not for the arduousness of their work nor for their personal honour or disgrace, but for the heavy sentence of two-year imprisonment given to their seven colleagues, and more for the failure of the judicial system to manifest justice and fairness.
As a matter of fact, in a time when the seven police officers lose their freedom, initiator of Occupy Central Benny Tai Yiu-ting not only continues to occupy the lecture podium at the University of Hong Kong's Law Faculty to talk eloquently about laws, but also launches "2017 election of the Chief Executive through Civil Referendum" with so-called VotSonar to wantonly collect citizens' private information. Another Occupy Central initiator Chan Kin-man, a lecturer with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is busy raising funds for Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Lau Siu Lai, Edward Yiu Chung-yim and "Long Hair", the four lawmakers who took their oaths illegally, to help them handle the lawsuits.
Moreover, Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, Civic Party member who poured foul-smelling liquid onto police officers on duty at the time, has been convicted of assaulting police but given a lenient sentence of five-week imprisonment and released on bail so he could make an appeal. And he went so far yesterday as to demand Commissioner of Police Stephen Lo Wai-chung for a public apology...
Such facts are before our eyes that Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Chan Kin-man, who openly advocated, instigated and organised the law-breaking Occupy Central, now are either working on "election of CE by Civil Referendum" or raising funds to support the four clowns. Neither so far has to take any legal responsibility for the illegal Occupy Central. Isn't it that Hong Kong is a capital of nomocracy (the rule of law)? Instigating, organising or participating an illegal assembly is illegal, which is stipulated by specific laws. Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Chan Kin-man both were arrested by the police and now are on bail. How come they are not prosecuted yet? Will their prosecution be pursued only until they finish their "election of CE by Civil Referendum" and fund raising for the four clowns?
Seven police officers have been thrown into jail while Tai and Chan remain at large to cut a wide swath. The seven police officers were given the heavy sentence of two years in jail for "assaulting", while Ken Tsang Kin-chiu, convicted of assaulting police, was just given a lenient sentence of five weeks in jail. Seeing right and wrong being so confounded and cases being handled so discriminately based on the degree of intimacy, how could police colleagues and citizens with a sense of righteousness not cry and feel indignant in unison, questioning whether justice and righteousness still exist?
Needless to say, none of those citizens who have expressed their indignation these days thinks it is right for law-enforcers to beat up people, let alone wants to antagonize judges. However, the seven police officers made a mistake while enforcing the law in a tough and complicated environment. Even if they would not be dealt with leniently there should be no reason to give them heavy sentences instead. It is reasonable for citizens to express their discontent with the court verdict. How come they should be condemned for "contempt of court" because of this? "God is watching over you." It is not without reason that the "tough guys" become resentful and citizens feel indignant.
21 February 2017
