'Inquiry, Not Watchdog, Should Probe Policing'

A lawmaker and former member of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) says an independent inquiry is needed into the policing of anti-extradition protests outside the Legislative Council on June 12.

Kenneth Leung said the IPCC and the force's in-house Complaints Against Police Office (Capo) were not the right organisations to study the handling of the demonstrations, which saw police use tear gas, rubber bullets and beanbag rounds against protesters.

"The IPCC may disagree with the findings of the Capo, but past experience suggests that the number of cases in which the IPCC found that the complaint office mishandled the complaint is very, very small," the Professionals Guild lawmaker said.

"There is also a problem in finding the witness and evidence by the complainant against the police in such a chaotic situation. Because of this lack of witnesses and evidence, the case could be classified as unsubstantiable."

Protesters have criticised the heavy-handed nature of the policing, while police chiefs have insisted that officers acted appropriately in the face of violence by the protesters. The Hong Kong Journalists Association has also complained about the police's treatment of the media.

Under Hong Kong's two-tier police complaints system, all complaints against the police are investigated by Capo. The IPCC can accept Capo's report, ask Capo to reinvestigate or interview witnesses itself. It cannot investigate public complaints itself and refers all such complaints to Capo.