Tang: 'Local terrorism' is worrisome

Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung is saddened and worried by the emergence of what he calls "local terrorism" and "homegrown terrorism", following a huge number of bombing incidents and the seizure of firearms and explosives in recent months.

Last week, police arrested 17 people related to the bomb attacks, charging six with possession and conspiracy to use explosives. Two Tai Po District Council members were also detained on charges of obstructing police officers from carrying out their duties.

So far, there is no evidence linking the bombings to international terrorism, he said. The investigation is ongoing, while police will discuss with the Department of Justice the appropriate charges to file.

"When we talk about terrorism, we usually mean global, international terrorist activities and organizations like ISIS. But the present situation is that some people oppose and hold the government to ransom with violent means, such as bombing, to force the government to do or not to do something," he said.

"Such illegal acts are very close to terrorism. Recently, explosives were detected in the Shenzhen Bay Port area and onboard an East Rail train, where a lot of people had gathered. That could easily have harmed a lot of innocent passengers.

"I feel very disappointed, saddened and worried by the trend of defying the law. Hong Kong is hailed as one of the safest cities in the world. Hong Kong was still very peaceful a year ago and nobody thought people would throw gasoline bombs and set fires everywhere. But bombing has become very common. Would (a student) throw a gasoline bomb at school if he is unhappy with things the teacher says or after quarreling with his mother?"

During the interview, Tang mentioned several times the problem with fake news and lies, and how they have hurt the police's reputation.

"It is another battlefield," he said.

"While we encounter violent attacks in the streets, we face the challenges of fake news. There were numerous fake video clips, with one alleging police throwing gasoline bombs. It was even used by CNN before it clarified the clip and apologized for its 'erroneous' reporting.

"The police's image has been severely affected, resulting in a low level of trust among the residents, especially young people who read online news and information only but not traditional media."

For example, police were alleged to have shot the right eye of a female protester in August, killed six people inside the Prince Edward MTR station, and raped a female protester at the Tsuen Wan Police Station. All the allegations proved groundless.