Hong Kong Executive Carrie Lam had an interview yesterday and made some very inflammatory remarks saying she "does not believe that there have been any cases of police brutality over the last 7 months. She only sees efforts to demonize/smear the police forces to weaken their law enforcement capabilities"
One of the remaining key demands by protesters was independent oversight into police abuses. Despite massive public support for this from protests and the election, she makes this statement. This is an abrupt change in stance because the HK government at least used to acknowledge an issue. Previously she had made a half-hearted attempt to ensure the "independence" on the panel to investigate the police abuses, but all the members quit in protest because of interference by the HK government and lack of any actual powers to conduct the investigation. She could not be any more transparent about being a CCP stooge.
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行政長官林鄭月娥出席立法會行政長官答問會。林鄭月娥表示，不認同過去7個月出現警暴，只見到警隊維持治安 ，但過去數個月不斷有人抹黑及妖魔化警隊，意圖削弱警隊執法能力。
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https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/compone...7-20200116.htm
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A panel of foreign experts overseeing an investigation into allegations of excessive force used by the Hong Kong police force has said it is stepping down, further calling into question the probe.
For months anti-government protesters have been demanding an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality in response to the demonstrations. The government has repeatedly said an independent inquiry is unnecessary and that the existing police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), should complete its review first.
But on Wednesday the group of foreign experts recruited to ensure objectivity in the probe said in a statement that they would be formally standing aside after discussions with the IPCC failed to result in “any agreed process” through which the [IPCC] would be able to conduct an effective investigation.
The experts said the IPCC lacked the powers necessary “to meet the standards citizens of Hong Kong would likely require” in a society that “values freedom and rights”.
“While we assessed that meaningful progress had been made in data collection and analysis, we ultimately concluded that a crucial shortfall was evident in the powers, capacity and independent investigative capability of IPCC,” the panel said, according to the South China Morning Post.
Experts on the panel had previously cast doubt on the police watchdog’s ability to deliver an objective investigation and called on the government to grant it more powers. The IPCC cannot summon witnesses or force the police to hand over evidence.
The decision by the foreign panel to quit is likely to heighten protesters’ demands for an independent probe. The IPCC is meant to give its full report in late January, in hopes of helping resolve more than six months of protests in the Chinese territory.
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...lack-of-powers