Rights Group Slams Hong Kong Police For Using Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets At Recent Protests

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) A prominent human rights group has criticized Hong Kong police for its violent tactics, mainly resorting to tear gas and rubber bullets, to disperse protesters during the recent rallies in the city.

The tenth consecutive weekend of mass rallies in Hong Kong resulted in violent clashes between the protesters and police, with dozens of people reported injured on both sides during the recent confrontations.

"Hong Kong police have once again used tear gas and rubber bullets in a way that have fallen short of international standards. Firing at retreating protesters in confined areas where they had little time to leave goes against the purported objective of dispersing a crowd," Man-Kei Tam, director of Amnesty International Hong Kong, said.

The Amnesty stressed that tear gas should not be deployed in "confined spaces or where exits are blocked or restricted."

"The Hong Kong police have once again demonstrated how not to police a protest. Law enforcement officials must be able to carry out their duty to protect the public. However, violence directed at police does not give officers a green light to operate outside of international policing standards," Man-Kei added.

Tensions in the city are on the rise amid weeks of mass demonstrations triggered by the proposed amendments to the extradition bill. Even though the government indefinitely suspended the controversial bill in mid-June, rallies continued in the financial hub.