2019 social unrest among Hong Kong police’s biggest challenges: outgoing chief
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu, who retires on Tuesday, recalls ‘unprecedented’ struggle and stress on officers during protests
Hong Kong’s outgoing police chief has said the challenges faced by the force during the 2019 social unrest were among the greatest over the course of his three-decade career.
“In the past few years, especially the 2019 anti-extradition bill incident, we faced an unprecedented challenge for the entire police force … I really felt that some of my colleagues … were very, very stressed,” Siu told a radio programme on Sunday.
“And while they were out there dealing with the riots, their families were under a lot of pressure and they were even attacked.”
The 2019 anti-government protests led to the arrest of 10,279 people aged between 11 and 87. Of these, 2,974 had either gone through or were undergoing judicial procedures as of September last year, with 2,403 facing punishment after pleading guilty or being convicted, according to police statistics. More than 7,000 arrestees have not been charged.
“At the time, I noticed that there were many dedicated individuals behind the scenes who specifically provoked young people to participate in violent protests and engaged in much incitement,” Siu said.
“Therefore, over the past few years, I have always hoped to find ways to help colleagues and young people understand that there are indeed people behind the scenes who were instigating.”