HONG KONG, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong police on Tuesday refuted accusations made by a member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) at the Human Rights Council of United Nations (UNHRC) regarding the police's law enforcement operations since June.
Expressing deep regret about the accusations made by Tanya Chan at UNHRC on Monday, a police spokesperson said that in face of the increasingly tense protests with an escalation of violence since June, the Hong Kong police always exercise a high level of restraint and endeavor to restore public order and to protect the safety of the general public.
The spokesperson said that in Hong Kong there are stringent police guidelines for the use of force, and the force to be used by the police shall be the minimum force necessary for achieving a lawful purpose.
"Ms Chan mentioned the rights of detainees and police procedures of custodial searches. We must emphasize that we always respect detainees' rights and will arrange for the detainees to communicate with relatives and lawyers as soon as possible, given that there is no unreasonable delay or hindrance to the investigation or administration of justice," the spokesperson said.
"Also, police will not obstruct any person from receiving medical treatment during investigation in a hospital or any operation. We also respect patients' privacy and any right a person should be entitled to," the spokesperson added.
"As for Ms Chan's accusation about detainees being harassed and humiliated by police, we have clarified repeatedly that we have not received any formal reports or complaints. We take such groundless accusations very seriously and doubt the source of information," the spokesperson said, adding that the police appeal to anyone who has concrete evidence to make a report so that the police can follow up and investigate.
Chan also accused police officers of shooting bean bag rounds at a female, causing blindness in one of her eyes. "The police seriously point out that this case is still under investigation and a judicial process. Before there is any investigation finding, no one should make any reckless conclusion," the spokesperson said.
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