The Junior Police Officers Association (JPOA) and Hong Kong Police Inspectors' Association (HKPIA) held a special meeting on a soccer pitch at the Police Sports and Recreation Club last night, which was attended by over 33,000 people including serving and retired police officers and their families. The meeting decided to give full support to the seven colleagues who were given harsh and heavy sentence of two years imprisonment for enforcing the law and to demand for legislation to ban insulting and provocative acts against public officers on duty.
Given the huge turnout for the meeting and the strong reaction in society over the verdicts on the seven police officer these days, it is admirable that the meeting proceeded rationally, peacefully and lawfully throughout, despite that many attendants were moody and filled with indignation. As pointed out by Joe Chan Cho-kwong, JPOA chairman and an organizer of the meeting, the rally shows to whole society that Hong Kong police is a high-quality, highly disciplined and united force, which is prideworthy.
Right now, the sentencing of the seven police officers has already made an impact on society that cannot be overlooked. On the one hand, the sentencing and the authority of the judiciary is questioned and, on the other, the police's capability to enforce the law in future is likely to face greater challenges. Both are not good for Hong Kong society. The rule of law is the cornerstone of our society and the police the important force to maintain social order. Once the relationship between the two becomes antagonist, the images of both will be damaged, and ultimately falling prey to this will only be citizens.
As a matter of fact, the disturbance caused by the sentencing of the seven police officers is by no means an accidental or isolated event, but a certain outcome of not giving due punishment to the opposition for their increasingly violent and law-breaking behaviour in recent year. When again and again trouble-makers launched assaults in the streets using looted metal barricades and home-made weapons and hurled insults wantonly, when again and again law enforcers were abused and shoved and jabbed, the pressure would sooner or later reaches the "critical point" and conflict unavoidable.
In his address to the massive rally last night, Joe Chan Cho-kwong pointed out: police officers on duty in the streets were often hurled abuses at and even provoked verbally or physically. Police officers are always asked to show restraint yet they are not protect legally. When they are driven beyond forbearance to take actions, these law enforcers are easily accused of violating procedures or even violating laws. What logic is this? It is utterly unreasonable to ask law enforcers to forbear to do anything when being insulted and provoked, and it is really unconvincing that the ones who disrupt public order are not blamed but those who move to stop them are held criminally responsible. It was the provoker who provoked the incident [involving the seven police officers], not the law enforcers. It is completely contrary to common sense that the provoker can get away unpunished but the law enforcers are thrown into jail. "The reason we gather together here is to get back our dignity. We can no longer unreasonably tolerate any humiliation and insult."
Such words of Joe Chan could be said representing the voice of all law enforcers, and a forceful complaint about the humiliation and injustice they have suffered while on duty for a long time. This is worthy of sympathy by citizens and attention by authorities concerned.
What is gratifying is that in face of angry shouts inside the police force and support expressed by massive citizens, organisers of last night's meeting stressed on staying low-key and law-abiding. The case [of the seven police officers] was not even discussed at the meeting in order not to affect their appeals. The police force aims to let the seven colleagues "be acquitted of the charges in court with dignity, return to unite with their families and come back to the police force carry on their duties."
It seems our police force is not only with awe-inspiring righteousness but also rational and restrained, courageous yet prudent, worthy of support and respect by citizens.
23 February 2017
