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THREAD: I've been doing some homework on Rupert Dover & David Jordan, the British-born Superintendents of HK Police. The former was in command of a unit of riot gear-clad officers on 12/6 (see below), which beat unarmed protestors & fired a tear gas round at a sitting legislator. https://twitter.com/wilfredchan/status/1141127521683083264 …pic.twitter.com/hwp7ES1RmY
Both are no strangers to controversy. Unconfirmed reports allege Dover was in command of a unit of officers which beat protestors in 2014, during Occupy. Here they are posing in 2014 after a successful operation, because they really are so damn hard. Big, magnanimous men.pic.twitter.com/SKuu5oZZOA
Both also received the Chief Executive's Commendation for Government/Public Service in the 2017 HK Police Force Honours List. Anyway, I digress~pic.twitter.com/iPdjcPMVyE
So: on the afternoon of June 12th, after his officers beat back several hundred protestors, legislator Wu Chi-wai (胡志偉) approaches Dover & his officers, shouting 'I demand to see your Commander', & identifying himself as a Legislative Councillor.pic.twitter.com/BHlRdWbMCq
Dover clearly & visibly orders a subordinate to fire a tear gas canister mere metres away from the approaching legislator. It's truly shocking to watch.pic.twitter.com/AMEEy5LFDJ
His officers then begin banging their shields in an age-old intimidation tactic, despite all but a tiny handful of protesters being hundreds of yards away.pic.twitter.com/qXAopFWqjU
However, we don't know if Dover's appalling & dangerous conduct specifically broke the HK Police's guidelines on the criteria for the use of tear gas, because, as I'll detail below, the Police have resisted every attempt to make them public.
What we *do* know about the HK Police's procedures for the use of tear gas & force more widely comes largely from former Legislator Frederick Fung (馮檢基)'s questioning of former Security Chief Lai Tung-Kwok (黎棟國) in 2014, following separate incidents of Police brutality.
Fung asked Lai what are the specific criteria for use of tear gas on crowds by the HK Police - unsurprisingly Lai refused to be drawn. However, he did say some illuminating things on the guidelines for use force more widely, which are damning for Dover given his actions that day.pic.twitter.com/2V5YrYfyk1
Lai said "there are strict Police guidelines" & that "force used shall be the minimum force necessary for achieving a lawful purpose". Remember *one person* - a sitting MP - was peaceably approaching officers - & was tear gassed. How is that ever the 'minimum force necessary'??pic.twitter.com/vZAVBSpTl8
Additionally, Lai detailed how Police must, when possible, give a warning of use of force. Watch the footage - Dover's officers are under no threat at all & he gave absolutely *no warning*. It could so easily have resulted in serious injury to a sitting MP who had broken no laws.pic.twitter.com/gxlChhcFqF
Lai also detailed how Police officers must "exercise a high level of restraint at all times in the use of force". Again - watch the footage. there is no way on earth Dover's conduct could be described in those terms. He actually appears to revel in giving the order to fire.pic.twitter.com/nNlMEWlELy
As subsequently revealed by netizens, the tear gas canisters fired by the police that day were also British-manufactured. Whilst it doesn't go nearly far enough, it is at least of comfort to know export licenses to HK for crowd control equipment have now been withdrawn by the UK.pic.twitter.com/3brw4xEO1W
Massive props to @HelenGoodmanMP for calling out Dover & Jordan in person in the Commons on Tues for their appalling actions, and for demanding to know what the UK Govt is doing to hold them to account for their actions in the absence of an indy inquiry into HK Police conduct.pic.twitter.com/O92rIW8G1j
For doing what the HK Govt refuses to do in holding Dover & Jordan to account, Helen was sent a letter by the Police's Staff Associations - but the fact is it's shameful it's fallen to a *British* MP to call them out for their behaviour & certainly not something to be criticised.pic.twitter.com/Dk5FHIuZGA
And just a reminder that both Dover & Jordan (as senior Police officers) are regularly found at protests in HK. Massive props to @HongKongHermit for calling Dover out on his bullshit.https://twitter.com/Miekkorg/status/1143996756180398080 …
Cheers to @wilfredchan @anti_elab @damon_pang @StandNewsHK @KongTsungGan @hkdemonow @HongKongHermit @aaronMCN @cheesindave @shelzhang & I'm sure many others for drawing attention to Dover & Jordan's actions - thanks peeps.
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