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UN experts’ police brutality allegations ‘groundless’: Hong Kong government

蘋果日報 2020/06/13 12:18


Police brutality allegations made by United Nations experts are “taken out of context”, “plainly false” or “groundless”, the Hong Kong government said.
The government’s comment was made in response to inquiries filed by three United Nations special rapporteurs and a member of a working group on arbitrary detention. The questions — largely surrounding volunteer first aid workers being harassed, detained and denied access to injured protesters — were addressed to the Chinese delegation in Geneva on Feb. 19.
The UN experts cited the case of first-aiders and medical workers being detained at a violent clash at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in November. In a written response dated May 28, the Hong Kong government said all paramedics and medical workers who could show proof had been released.
They added that it was common tactics for protesters to disguise themselves as first-aid workers to escape detention or arrest. Twelve people who claimed to be paramedics but could not provide proof were arrested at PolyU, along with 798 others, according to the government’s response.
Another case the rapporteurs raised was the incident at Prince Edward station, where police officers were seen beating and pepper spraying passengers on an MTR train. Paramedics were obstructed from tending to the injured, the UN experts noted. Journalists were also barred from entering the station, fueling rumours that the police were trying to cover up serious injuries or even deaths in the incident.
The government said the station was evacuated out of safety concerns. Police officers had provided first-aid treatment to the injured, it added.
The UN experts were also concerned about a paramedic who was shot in the eye by a pellet. The government said there was no information that the person was a paramedic. The police had tried to reach out to her but had received no response, it said.
The government added that the police had received no complaints of brutality from the arrested and that it was committed to safeguarding residents’ lawful rights and freedoms.
The government’s response is in contrast with various reports from the media and Amnesty International, which have documented a number of incidents where the police were said to have abused their power.
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