HONG KONG, March 18 — Officers from China's top internal security force — the People's Armed Police — joined Hong Kong police on the frontlines to observe anti-government protests that peaked last year, according to a senior foreign diplomat and an opposition politician. Hong Kong police took...
Wednesday, 18 Mar 2020 01:43 PM MYT
“I'm aware that Hong Kong police officers have taken Chinese security forces to the front during protests, apparently in an observation role,” veteran democratic legislator James To told Reuters.The foreign diplomat, who requested anonymity and declined to be quoted due to sensitivity over commenting on security matters, also said PAP officers accompanied police to the frontlines.
Their assessments were based on intense scrutiny of the security forces' response to the pro-democracy protests, which began last June, but have ebbed this year amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. While both Beijing and local Hong Kong authorities have been relatively open about the low-key role of the PLA in the city, they have never confirmed the presence of the PAP.
Lawrence Li, a spokesman for the Hong Kong government's security bureau, said outside law enforcement agencies, including from the mainland, did not have the authority to enforce laws within Hong Kong. Diplomatic envoys and security analysts say they are closely watching the PAP in Hong Kong, because they believe it, rather than the army, would spearhead any crackdown should the Communist Party leadership in Beijing choose to intervene in future protests.
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