BEIJING/HONG KONG - Hong Kong's new police
commissioner said on Saturday his force would take a flexible
approach to pro-democracy demonstrations as the city gears up
for a rally on Sunday that is expected to draw a huge crowd.
Chris Tang was appointed last month upon his predecessor's
retirement and amid six months of sometimes violent
anti-government protests in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. He was
speaking in Beijing on a "courtesy visit" during which he
briefed top officials in charge of public security, legal and
Hong Kong affairs.
"We will use both the hard and soft approach. We will be
stringent on illegal violent actions such as throwing of petrol
bombs, acid," Tang told reporters in Beijing.
"For other issues, if possible, we will adopt a more
flexible approach."
Police have given a rare green light to the demonstration
planned for Sunday by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) group,
which organised largely peaceful million-strong marches in the
summer.
The march will gauge support for the pro-democracy movement
following its overwhelming victory in local elections late last
month. Police said they would intervene "immediately" if it
turned violent.
Tang said he hoped Sunday's protest would be peaceful.
What started as demonstrations against a now-withdrawn bill
allowing extradition to mainland China has morphed into calls
for greater democratic freedoms and sometimes violent protests.
The international financial hub has enjoyed relative calm in
the weeks since the elections.
Protesters have set out five demands, including universal
suffrage and an investigation into alleged police brutality.
Beijing has condemned the unrest and blamed foreign
governments, including the United States and former colonial
power Britain of interfering in the country's internal affairs.
Tara Joseph, President of the American Chamber of Commerce
in Hong Kong, told Reuters on Saturday that she had been denied
entry to the neighbouring Chinese-ruled territory of Macau.
Joseph, a U.S. citizen, said she was detained by immigration
authorities for around two hours as she made her way to the to
the former Portuguese colony for the AmCham Macau Ball.
Authorities did not give a reason for refusing her entry, she
added.
FLYING FLAGS
Earlier on Saturday, police commissioner Tang observed a
flag-raising ceremony in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, according
to video footage carried by Hong Kong broadcaster Cable TV.
"I am very excited to see the country's flag fly and to feel
the country's greatness," he told reporters. "I would like to
thank ... President Xi Jinping (for his) unwavering support of
the Hong Kong police strictly enforcing the law."
In Hong Kong, several hundred pro-Beijing supporters waved
Chinese flags and played mainland hymns to show support for the
government and condemn violence.
"We saw all the damages, all the wreckages, all the
barricades on the roads, created by those yellow (pro-democracy)
groups, the rioters, and we just couldn't stand it anymore,"
said Virginia Cheung, 54, a retired civil servant.
Xu Enlai, a 72-year old retired construction worker who
moved to Hong Kong from the mainland 45 years ago, also
denounced violence.
"I think Hong Kong police are doing very well ... The police
are safeguarding our society here," he said.