Carrie Lam Hails 'comprehensive, Fair' IPCC Report

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Friday hailed a new report by the police watchdog which dismissed all the most serious allegations against the force, while conceding there was ‘room for improvement’ in how officers dealt with anti-government protests.

She said her administration will set up a task force to follow up on the recommendations of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), but admitted that the publication of the report “won't put an end to social unrest.”

She said the report was “comprehensive, objective, factually-based, and extremely substantial” – lauding their “fair and transparent” process of collecting a huge trove of information through various sources.

“I hope that the people – regardless of their attitude or political stance – can fairly assess this report.”

She agreed with the report’s conclusion that the “painful” protests had morphed from peaceful protests, to radical street action that led to widespread damage and chaos.

Lam said the protest movement’s “shifting demands” was a “sinister” attempt to destablise the government.

She said protesters had moved from demanding a withdrawal of the now-scrapped extradition bill, to a probe into police violence, the implementation of universal suffrage, and ultimately campaigning for Hong Kong independence, calling for the police force to be disbanded completely, and inviting foreign powers to interfere.

“This increasing violence, if not quickly and effectively stopped, would shake the One Country, Two Systems principle and destablise the society, and push Hong Kong into the abyss”, she said.

Lam also said a new taskforce would be set up, headed by the Secretary for Security, John Lee, to take forward the 52 recommendations from the IPCC, which she says the government ‘generally’ accepts.

She said some of the suggestions – such as an IPCC call for the police and journalists to establish a code of practice that would ideally allow both sides to do their jobs during large scale protests – could be prioritised.

Improvements in internal communication, and a review of how the force can more effectively use social media to quickly dispel rumours and offer transparent information, she added, could also take priority.

Lam said she accepts there were deficiencies in how the police dealt with the protests.

“There were, of course, situations that can be handled better, there were of course deficiencies in communications and staff deployment,’ she said.

But she once again ruled out accepting protesters' demands to set up an independent commission of inquiry to probe allegations of police brutality.

“People are trying to use violence to force the government’s hands in meeting their demands, so if we set up the inquiry, we’ll then be allowing the threat to succeed, so we won’t do it", Lam said.

Instead, Lam had been pushing for the establishment of a independent review committee to probe Hong Kong’s deep-rooted problems. However, she said these plans have been scuppered as several people who had originally agreed to take part, changed their minds for “personal reasons.”

"As I understand it, the reason why rather distinguished members of the community who had originally agreed to take up the task of either being a chairman or the member of this independent review committee subsequently pulled out on personal reasons, I guess, was the fear of intimidation, the fear of doxxing, and the fear of their relatives, their friends, or their businesses being affected", Lam said.

Still, she said government-subsidised studies on a range of issues are due to be completed by the end of the year, and should offer some insights into the problems plaguing the territory.

The CE also said for now, the government will be putting its focus on shoring up the coronavirus-ravaged economy, and on saving jobs. After the epidemic is over and the economy revives, Lam said, the government will consider the next step to take.

Asked if the report will help in settling things down, she said: “I am not so naïve to think the publication of report... will put an end to social unrest.”

“I think it will continue, because one: Hong Kong is a very free society. Second: we’re faced with a lot of conflict in the Legislative Council and the district councils.”

She added that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be followed up – such as a large number of complaints against police that still have yet to be dealt with, and the prosecution of thousands of protesters who have been arrested since last June.

Lam said more resources would be allocated to the police, the Department of Justice and the judiciary to speed up prosecution work.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Lam said.

The Chief Executive had called a press conference hours after the 1,000-page report was released. She spoke in front of a massive backdrop that read "The Truth About Hong Kong" – superimposed on top of images of violent protests, such as burning police stations, protesters hurling petrol bombs, and black-clad demonstrators taking over the Legco chamber last July.

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