I am writing in response to the letter from Winky So, director general of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (22 November). Her claim that Hong Kong police have “carried out enforcement actions in strict accordance with the law” is simply ludicrous.

International and local media have documented numerous cases of police brutality that are in violation of Police General Orders – citizens being pepper-sprayed in the face because they did not move fast enough; protesters being beaten ferociously on the head with batons when they were already immobilised; officers verbally abusing protesters. The list goes on.

By refusing to address these incidents properly, Carrie Lam and the Hong Kong government are simply perpetuating the institutional violence that is driving Hong Kong to the ground. They may want to maintain the facade that they are still governing Hong Kong, but those of us who have lived under the terror of the Hong Kong police know that Hong Kong is a de facto police state.

In another letter published with the one from Winky So, Koh-Ann Chu of Hong Kong claimed “the vast majority of the force are decent people doing their job to keep us safe”. As someone who has witnessed the police firing teargas in an empty junction in my neighbourhood, yelling profanities and taunting residents without provocation, I beg to differ.

Indeed, transportation was disrupted and streets were vandalised. But all of this would not have happened if Hong Kong police officers had not fired teargas and rubber bullets at unarmed protesters on 12 June, or let triads randomly attack citizens while shutting down police stations on 21 July, or attacked citizens at Prince Edward station on 31 August.

Karen Yuen

Hong Kong

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