Press Release on October 2, 2019
Robert Chung the President of HKPORI responds to
Escalating Violence in Hong Kong
On the unfortunate shooting incidents which occurred yesterday, Robert Chung, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI), made these observations today:
(1) The shooting incidents are results of escalating violence which have spiraled upward in recent months and such a spiral can only be stopped by taking constructive efforts from both sides of the divide.
(2) On the side of the government especially the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), I suggest they make a quick and independent investigation on what happened yesterday with a view of preventing such incidents from happening again, and before the investigation is complete, take the following measures:
(a) Reduce the deployment of the STC (Special Tactical Contingent) as much as possible and if such a deployment is a must, display their identification numbers as clearly as possible;
(b) Refrain from deploying undercovers to the protesters so there is no ambiguity on what actions are started by the protesters and not police officers in disguise.
(c) Review the mission and vision of the HKPF especially after the establishment of their Service Quality Wing in 1994 so as to preserve the good practices of the Force, and to provide suitable counselling and assistance to police officers who might have deviated from such practices.
(3) On the side of the protesters especially the hardcore ones, I likewise suggest they review their tactics in light of the following:
(a) They have already embarrassed the leadership of the Central People’s Government and caught the attention of the international community;
(b) International support especially those from the common people usually goes to those who fight in peace, not those who sabotage their own society even those who oppose their beliefs;
(c) Resort to more peaceful means of conflict resolution including civil society driven deliberations, judicial actions, people’s referendums, and so on.
(4) Given that the public dialogue has failed to stop the escalation of violence, the government should quickly review and revise its dialogue plan to address public demands.
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