Hong Kong police chief called on all citizens to participate in counter-terrorism and anti-violence campaigns concerning forces operating in the dark that may threaten the increasingly stable situation in the city. 

Raymond Siu, police commissioner of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on a radio program on Sunday that the police force will expand its intelligence network and strengthen its attention to those who incite violence on the internet. He called on the public to report to the police immediately if they find anyone who may engage in radical acts, in order to protect Hong Kong by "universal counter-terrorism."

The HKSAR has seen 30,871 criminal cases in the first half of 2021, 4.6 percent less than the same period in 2020, Siu said. Cases related to unrest, including criminal damage, arson and unlawful assembly, decreased by a range of 10 to 45 percent.

"The decline in these figures reflects the return of calm to Hong Kong and the need for frontline police officers to focus on crime prevention and elimination," he said. 

Although the city's overall situation has been described as stable, Siu stressed the need to watch out for violent acts bred underground, citing the lone wolf terrorist attack of a police officer on July 1.

He warned that some forces are still lurking in the dark to mislead the public, particularly the young, through magazines, online videos and cultural activities, etc. 

Earlier in August, Siu also stressed that the police intelligence network must be strengthened and continue to expand, hoping to achieve universal participation in anti-terrorism and anti-violence missions.

"Intelligence cannot only come from the police, but should also rely on the public to report. I hope that all people will participate in the anti-terrorism and anti-violence campaign, as the public is our best eyes and ears."

Siu said that the "National Security Department hotline" has received more than 150,000 messages from November 2020 to August this year, and he promised that the police will analyze the reported information in detail and will not take it lightly.

Siu also said fake news stories and false information that have emerged in the past two years have contributed to young people's misconceptions of the police, the government and the country. He added that the police have set a goal of clarifying fake news within two hours.

Siu noted that the police respect freedom of the press but not freedom of fake news. "Fake news is not an unintentional mistake or sharing without malice, but a deliberate attempt to mislead the public."

Global Times