It is more than one month since my last post with the same heading and the answer to the question became quite clear now. Meanwhile today the social unrest just went into a new milestone following the death of an university student who mysteriously fell from height in a car park building during a police-protestors confrontation a week ago. The news of the student's death three days ago triggered a new round of mayhem throughout Hong Kong territory. However, the situation in today turned much sour than it was in the past few days when a police officer shot down a protestor live fire with his pistol and another traffic police officer charged into protestors three times with his motorbike.
Today's shooting is the second incidence following the shooting in last month. Unlike the last shooting that the protestor was engaging in action towards the police officer, the victim in today's shooting just followed and watched about two meters away from the police officer while some other protestors were having bodily contact with that officer. Apparently that officer has burst into loss of control while being confronted and under stress. Compounded with the traffic police's reckless charging with his motorbike, it will unavoidably tear further apart the police force with the public as live round footage went viral in the Internet. The public's condemnation on the police's violence puts Carrie Lam, the so far CE of the HKSAR, into a dilemma. The police force is Lam's sole reliance on the armed force backing but it seems the Force is going to be out of her control.
It seems there is a delicate shift of dominance between Lam's administration and the police force. As and when the social unrest goes more and more furious Lam's administration is getting more and more dependent on the police force to deal with the mayhem. Every seasoned business owner knows that when a particular staff became indispensable that it will be a big headache of office governance. This is the exact situation that Lam is trapped into particularly when Beijing openly expressed it's recognition on the HK police force's work. This puts Lam in a more vulnerable position in term of office politics. It seems both parties are aware of this situation well or at least the front line police officers do so therefore they enjoy much freedom and leeway on the exercising excessive force while Lam is quite cautious and refrained on commenting the situation.
Some people may say the stationed PLA is Lam's last resort so she is not that hindered in under dog. However, the PLA is not under her command so the deployment is solely up to Beijing's decision while the latter has a big concern of the use of PLA on HK soil especially amid the closing negotiation on a deal with the U.S. on the trade talk. On the other hand, Beijing has a much bigger concern on the deployment of PLA at this moment when the police force is under condemnation. The latter may interpret the action is a distrust on them or even a disposal after ordeal. They are in their some thirty thousands and most of all, armed. Their grievance is the least thing Beijing does not want to see.
There is a Chinese saying to describe someone is in a dilemma as the riding on a tiger's back, it is not easy to keep on riding in one hand but dangerous to cast off on the other hand. Where is the tiger? Who is riding? Hm....
2019年11月11日 星期一
2019年9月29日 星期日
Evil police? A big misunderstanding!
A few days ago the once retired but recently back on board again temporary deputy commissioner of police, Alan Lau Yip Shing, sent an internal letter to the police force to comfort and encourage them on their contribution in the operation dealing with the Hong Kong's ever biggest social movement in the past three months. Being the second man to the police commissioner, it is alright for Lau to cheer up his team in the hope to earn the continuous support from the team as the movement seems to be unlikely to die out in the near future. Indeed this is the expected role on Lau for his reunion with the police force again even after his retirement due to his past experience in the operation on the Korean farmers' protest on the WTO meeting held in Hong Kong back in 2005.
In Lau's letter, he accused the people from sectors in political party, lawmaker, religion, media, education and social welfare attacked the ruling of the government for the sake of their political purposes and interests. He further questioned why the same police force was rated as among the few best in the Asia just back three months ago but now became what is alleged as the evil police.
It is absolutely alright to motivate his subordinates but if the content in Lau's letter really reflects his genuine thinking then his letter just gives away how innocent and naive of the second man to the police chief is.
Any police force in the world is the law enforcement arm of any regime in the world. Therefore police force is part of the constitution and establishment. It's fundamental role is very simple, ie., to safeguard the regime against mostly internal challenges including those from the outlaws and anti-governmental activists. So whenever there is any anti-governmental activity, it is always the police force out there to combat them. If people has neglected this ugly part of the police force then it is just a big misunderstanding.
On the other hand, the police force has been doing its job in maintaining the law and order in Hong Kong and the crime rate is among the few lowest countries or areas in the region, at least prior to the outbreak of the massive social movement since this June. Hong Kong police force really deserved the reputation which it earned from its hard work throughout the years. To be fair, even during these few months of social unrest, Hong Kong police force is still working hard in doing their jobs on the maintenance of the daily law and order against the outlaws.
What marked the difference on the image of the police force is their role on the suppression on the social movements since four years ago from the Occupy Central. Being part of the establishment, police force is repeatedly used by the administration in cracking down all unwanted voices and actions. This was when the police force got its curse as evil police. It was CY Leung's and now Carrie Lam's administration that put the police force in direct confrontation with the public. Indeed they are the one to be blamed.
In fact people should also distinguish the police force's management from the individual police officers. The latter acts according to the instructions given from the former. The on-site commander should be held responsible for the tactics and deployment of forces. Excessive aggressive actions could have been taken in order to brown-nosing the superiors or even Beijing. Naturally there are some police officers have overly exercised his force at his own discretion. This is really an undesirable behaviour.
While people is accusing the police force is evil, it is better to target precisely who the black sheep are but at the end of the day, it should be the one who is responsible for bringing up this chaos be accountable for the blame.
So don't blame the police force. They are just like a dual faces character. Whether they are evil just depends on which face you are looking at. Remember, your great hound is always excellent and the difference lies on whether it is hunting for you or hunting you.
In Lau's letter, he accused the people from sectors in political party, lawmaker, religion, media, education and social welfare attacked the ruling of the government for the sake of their political purposes and interests. He further questioned why the same police force was rated as among the few best in the Asia just back three months ago but now became what is alleged as the evil police.
It is absolutely alright to motivate his subordinates but if the content in Lau's letter really reflects his genuine thinking then his letter just gives away how innocent and naive of the second man to the police chief is.
Any police force in the world is the law enforcement arm of any regime in the world. Therefore police force is part of the constitution and establishment. It's fundamental role is very simple, ie., to safeguard the regime against mostly internal challenges including those from the outlaws and anti-governmental activists. So whenever there is any anti-governmental activity, it is always the police force out there to combat them. If people has neglected this ugly part of the police force then it is just a big misunderstanding.
On the other hand, the police force has been doing its job in maintaining the law and order in Hong Kong and the crime rate is among the few lowest countries or areas in the region, at least prior to the outbreak of the massive social movement since this June. Hong Kong police force really deserved the reputation which it earned from its hard work throughout the years. To be fair, even during these few months of social unrest, Hong Kong police force is still working hard in doing their jobs on the maintenance of the daily law and order against the outlaws.
What marked the difference on the image of the police force is their role on the suppression on the social movements since four years ago from the Occupy Central. Being part of the establishment, police force is repeatedly used by the administration in cracking down all unwanted voices and actions. This was when the police force got its curse as evil police. It was CY Leung's and now Carrie Lam's administration that put the police force in direct confrontation with the public. Indeed they are the one to be blamed.
In fact people should also distinguish the police force's management from the individual police officers. The latter acts according to the instructions given from the former. The on-site commander should be held responsible for the tactics and deployment of forces. Excessive aggressive actions could have been taken in order to brown-nosing the superiors or even Beijing. Naturally there are some police officers have overly exercised his force at his own discretion. This is really an undesirable behaviour.
While people is accusing the police force is evil, it is better to target precisely who the black sheep are but at the end of the day, it should be the one who is responsible for bringing up this chaos be accountable for the blame.
So don't blame the police force. They are just like a dual faces character. Whether they are evil just depends on which face you are looking at. Remember, your great hound is always excellent and the difference lies on whether it is hunting for you or hunting you.
2019年7月31日 星期三
Don't get it wrong
Following the terror attack in Yuen Long MTR station in last Sunday, there was accusation that the police ignored the gathering of the men-in-white gangsters prior to the attack and deliberately delayed to be present in the crime scene of violence when it happened. Rumor of collusion between the police and the triad went viral.
Perhaps it is a success of the Hong Kong action movies of police and criminals on the portrait of both parties. The public generally holds a thought that the police is against the criminals and they take each other as enemy. Unfortunately this is just a big big misunderstanding, if not misleading of concept. Police and triads in Hong Kong have been collaborating for decades indeed.
Gangstering is an ancient "business" throughout the world. There are always criminals who prefer to make their living by taking advantage of the other people and to take the fruits out of them illegally. Therefore police is there to combat these criminals and to restore the law and order in the society. This is probably the basic formula of most police action movies. The reality is that this is not completely the truth though.
While the Hong Kong government is still capitalizing on the legacy residue from the former British-Hong Kong's civil servant team that is pride with high integrity amid its rapidly China-ization after the returning to the Mainland, as mentioned in my previous post that in fact Hong Kong has experienced a dark age of law and order in the 1950-60s' prior to the inception of ICAC in 1974, Hong Kong was literally managed by gangs because they have bribed the whole police force so that all criminal activities were tolerated or even under the police's consent. The police's job was indeed to coordinate with the gang bosses to ensure the latter properly managed the different clans within the gang for an equilibrium on business interests and turf occupation to avoid fighting among themselves. As such to maintain the social stability.
Corruption was once largely reduced at least on the surface after the establishment of ICAC. Bribing to the police force especially the low ranking officers is basically eliminated. However, gangsters has not gone away but still exist in the society. What they did is just to adapt to the new landscape. While human being as a species evolves so do the gangsters. Triad bosses have learned that to survive they need sustainable income sources. Without the blatant protection from the police, their illegal businesses became riskier. They resorted to legitimate but lucrative businesses such as movie-making industry and show-biz which were in their prime in Hong Kong during 1980-90s'. Triad bosses transformed into legitimate businessmen.
While the triad bosses can make a flamboyant transformation but not that to all gang members. Most of the clan members still rely on illegal businesses for living. On the other hand, their originally illegal businesses are the triad's roots which are still quite profitable so are indispensable. However, gone were the days that these illegal businesses under the police's blatant protection. Their operation could be raided at times and brought losses to them. Therefore the gangs look into every way to counter the police's law enforcement actions and undermine the latter's surveillance on the former. While in most of the time the police is at the upper hand but the gangs will capitalize on every chance to enhance their leeway.
The gangs know well that one of the police force's KPI is crime rate which is largely under the gangs' manipulation. The police is keen on a low crime figure to show to the public that crime is under their control and this is what the gangs can leverage on a bargain with the police in the exchange of leeway to their businesses. On the other hand the police knows if they eradicate the gangsters livelihood then it will just lead to a revenge resulting in rocketed crimes. A surge in crime rate meaning a social instability especially in public order and this brings pressure on the police force's performance. A delicate mutual consensus is therefore made on the level of police's clamping and the gangs self-restrain. Collusion between police and triad has been around for long time. It is just a big misunderstanding if some people think that the public order is maintained under the police's one sided effort. The reality is that it is only a trade-off between the two parties.
Perhaps it is a success of the Hong Kong action movies of police and criminals on the portrait of both parties. The public generally holds a thought that the police is against the criminals and they take each other as enemy. Unfortunately this is just a big big misunderstanding, if not misleading of concept. Police and triads in Hong Kong have been collaborating for decades indeed.
Gangstering is an ancient "business" throughout the world. There are always criminals who prefer to make their living by taking advantage of the other people and to take the fruits out of them illegally. Therefore police is there to combat these criminals and to restore the law and order in the society. This is probably the basic formula of most police action movies. The reality is that this is not completely the truth though.
While the Hong Kong government is still capitalizing on the legacy residue from the former British-Hong Kong's civil servant team that is pride with high integrity amid its rapidly China-ization after the returning to the Mainland, as mentioned in my previous post that in fact Hong Kong has experienced a dark age of law and order in the 1950-60s' prior to the inception of ICAC in 1974, Hong Kong was literally managed by gangs because they have bribed the whole police force so that all criminal activities were tolerated or even under the police's consent. The police's job was indeed to coordinate with the gang bosses to ensure the latter properly managed the different clans within the gang for an equilibrium on business interests and turf occupation to avoid fighting among themselves. As such to maintain the social stability.
Corruption was once largely reduced at least on the surface after the establishment of ICAC. Bribing to the police force especially the low ranking officers is basically eliminated. However, gangsters has not gone away but still exist in the society. What they did is just to adapt to the new landscape. While human being as a species evolves so do the gangsters. Triad bosses have learned that to survive they need sustainable income sources. Without the blatant protection from the police, their illegal businesses became riskier. They resorted to legitimate but lucrative businesses such as movie-making industry and show-biz which were in their prime in Hong Kong during 1980-90s'. Triad bosses transformed into legitimate businessmen.
While the triad bosses can make a flamboyant transformation but not that to all gang members. Most of the clan members still rely on illegal businesses for living. On the other hand, their originally illegal businesses are the triad's roots which are still quite profitable so are indispensable. However, gone were the days that these illegal businesses under the police's blatant protection. Their operation could be raided at times and brought losses to them. Therefore the gangs look into every way to counter the police's law enforcement actions and undermine the latter's surveillance on the former. While in most of the time the police is at the upper hand but the gangs will capitalize on every chance to enhance their leeway.
The gangs know well that one of the police force's KPI is crime rate which is largely under the gangs' manipulation. The police is keen on a low crime figure to show to the public that crime is under their control and this is what the gangs can leverage on a bargain with the police in the exchange of leeway to their businesses. On the other hand the police knows if they eradicate the gangsters livelihood then it will just lead to a revenge resulting in rocketed crimes. A surge in crime rate meaning a social instability especially in public order and this brings pressure on the police force's performance. A delicate mutual consensus is therefore made on the level of police's clamping and the gangs self-restrain. Collusion between police and triad has been around for long time. It is just a big misunderstanding if some people think that the public order is maintained under the police's one sided effort. The reality is that it is only a trade-off between the two parties.
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