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Hong Kong protests: use of force was ‘necessary and lawful’ says former police chief Andy Tsang, who was in charge when officers fired at Occupy protesters in 2014
- Tsang says officers should not apologise for use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and beanbag rounds
- But former top official admits to judging situation based on what he watched on TV
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The use of force by Hong Kong police during last week’s extradition bill protest, which triggered the siege of its headquarters on Friday night, was “necessary and lawful”, a former chief said.
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Andy Tsang Wai-hung dismissed the need for police to apologise for firing tear gas, rubber bullets and beanbag rounds, and said the clashes were more severe than those during the Occupy movement in 2014, when he was police commissioner and officers fired tear gas, but not bullets at protesters.
Tsang, who has been nominated by Beijing to lead the UN’s drugs and crime division, spoke hours after thousands of young protesters ended a 15-hour siege of the force’s headquarters on Saturday morning, with police vowing to “stringently follow up” on their “illegal activities”.
He also had a “friendly warning” for protesters who demanded that the government and police not prosecute arrested suspects for rioting.
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“Prosecution should be a legal instead of political decision, otherwise the rule of law will collapse,” he said.
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