New Hong Kong Police Chief Says Violence 'Close To Terrorism'

The South China Morning Post, on Monday, conducted an exclusive interview with incoming Commissioner of Police, Chris Tang Ping-keung, one day before he was sworn in as the 7th post-1997 commissioner of the former British colony.

Tang was selected by the Central government on the recommendation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam and succeeds Stephen Lo Wai-chung, 58, who retired after 35 years of service.

Tang's appointment comes when Hong Kong is at a crossroads over the violence that has dominated Hong Kong since early June. One of the points that Tang stressed during the interview was to express concerns that people were blaming the police but were ignoring the violent acts by some of the protesters. Tang said the spreading violence was not only “very heartbreaking”, but also came “very close to terrorism”.

He went on to add, “Enough is enough. Whatever your beliefs, do not glorify and put up with the violence. Do not let the mob further motivate themselves and become more radicalized. If everyone had come out earlier to condemn the violence, society would not have turned into this state in five months. We can only end the unrest with society’s condemnation, reflection by the rioters, plus our appropriate tactics.” He added that the support of Hongkongers would be needed to end the social unrest.

Over the past five-and-a-half months, the Hong Kong Police have been accused of using excessive force, sexual harassment and of being a political tool by Carrie Lam’s government and Beijing. The unrest has drawn international attention, most notably in the U.S. where lawmakers are considering diplomatic action and economic sanctions.

China has accused the U.S. of inciting the riots in Hong Kong. The two superpowers are already embroiled in a trade war and are at odds over some disputed waterways in the South China Sea.

All the while, Tang has led a police operation code-named Tiderider, to handle the street protests. He referred to the police force’s reputation as “Asia’s finest” saying, “They work long hours, but still remain at their posts to maintain the city’s law and order. I am very proud of the officers and the force.”

Tang, a career law enforcement officer and former head of Interpol’s Criminal Organization and Violent Crime Unit, was critical of people who were quick to make judgments of police behavior on what he called a “snapshot of police action” without knowing the full story.

He explained that in the process of subduing and handcuffing a suspect, there was a high risk that there would be a struggle, an attempt to flee and that the officer would be attacked. He said, “We must look at the situation as a whole, instead of examining every single thing with a magnifier. Do we have to apologize for every segment? Doing that will undermine the contribution and hard work of my men over the past five months. We make thousands and millions of decisions. It is impossible for each and every one of them to be perfect” when asked if he would offer apologies for police misconduct.

Tang will certainly be under a microscope from all sides as he accepts the challenges of his new position. He stated in the Post interview that he is prepared for attacks on him personally and against the police force.