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Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 00:10
Tasers and net guns should be deployed to save lives
By Paul Surtees
Wednesday, May 27, 2020, 00:10 By Paul Surtees

Thankfully, since January, there had been a welcome lull in destructive civil disturbances in which anti-government protesters embraced street and campus rioting to press their demands, as our city was diverted to fighting the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, this respite ended in early May, with more violence emerging after the National People’s Congress made known its plan to enact a national security law for Hong Kong.

Coming governmental and political changes also seem likely to provoke further violent conflicts on our streets. The ministerial changes, clearer interpretation of Beijing’s power over Hong Kong affairs, the arrest of prominent leaders from the “pan-democratic” front, together with the upcoming Legislative Council elections, are sure to stoke the inevitable political storm on the near horizon. We used to be able to reconcile our social and political differences through civilized discourse with the guidance and influence of some recognized elder statesmen in our community. Nowadays, we would be hard-pressed to identify these potential conciliators respected by both sides of the political divide. Our politics have become so uncompromising and toxic that even our government leaders no longer command the respect they once did.

Adding fuel to this inflammable mix, last year saw the birth of an openly anarchist element that repeatedly engaged in indiscriminate property destruction and violence against fellow citizens who do not share its political beliefs. For nearly eight months, the electronic media nightly broadcast this element’s handiwork of trashing MTR facilities, burning private businesses, setting up barricades to obstruct public roadways, and committing violence against fellow residents, culminating in laying siege to our universities. Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages they have already caused, few of them has shown repentance. Thus, our law enforcement authorities should brace themselves for their return.

We used to be able to reconcile our social and political differences through civilized discourse with the guidance and influence of some recognized elder statesmen in our community

Our security authorities are now considering the deployment of electronic stun guns and net guns during riots. Their introduction could potentially save protester and police lives, and their purpose was clearly explained to win public understanding and support.

There has been unfair condemnation of Hong Kong police officers for the way they have handled protesters. However, in almost any other legal jurisdiction in the world, throwing a gasoline bomb or a brick at police lines would quickly result in the attacker being shot. Instead, in the face of such provocations, our police officers have generally responded with extraordinary restraint. This is evident in view of the dozens of fatalities in overseas street protests involving far fewer protesters, while Hong Kong has yet to record a single fatality as a result of our police action. Unfortunately, this restraint has only encouraged our street protesters to resort to ever-more violent means in their confrontation with police. Let us hope that the deployment of the new nonlethal crowd-control equipment will put the brakes on this ever-escalating violence from the “blackshirts” and their collaborators.

 We have all seen, online, numerous instances of the dangerous physical tackling of a rioter, arsonist or vandal, when a police officer attempts to subdue a violent young man to make an arrest. Often, in these situations, the youngster being subdued violently resists arrest, and other rioters nearby would attack the police officers in the hopes of helping their fellow “blackshirt” escape arrest. These physical struggles, during which any of the participants might be injured, could be largely avoided if our officers were to be equipped with a net gun, which would help make the arrest much easier and without injuring anyone.

By the way, those praising the self-styled “ninja-warriors/freedom fighters” clad in black from head to toe should note that real heroes take responsibility for their actions. Instead, these masked “blackshirts” hide behind full-body black cloth coverage and rows of umbrellas to escape being called to account for their property destruction and physical violence against police and vulnerable fellow citizens. They certainly don’t seem like heroes by any stretch of the imagination. This should be pointed out to our young people, who might be enamored by their fake bravery and feel tempted to follow in their footsteps.

In close combat situations, police presently have a gap in their defenses, falling between their use of a baton and a pistol. This can be effectively remedied with the introduction of Tasers and other electronic restraining devices that only temporarily immobilize an attacker without causing any real injury. Their deployment in various overseas enforcement agencies has proved to be successful. Used together with the net gun, these would help the Hong Kong Police Force to continue as one of the world’s most benign and effective crowd control enforcement agencies, while keeping our streets and fellow citizens safe.

The author is a veteran commentator on Hong Kong social issues.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.


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