Hong Kong's reluctant police officer | police officer policeman
LarryYeung*cutsalonelyfigureinthepoliceforcethesedays.Hejoinedmorethan20yearsagobecauseitappealedtohissenseofjustice.Proudlyshowingoffhisgraduationtie,hereminiscesabouthisdesireasayoungrecruittoservesocietyandhelpthedisadvantaged.“Iabidebywhattheforcehastaughtme,”hesays,showingalistofvaluesandmissionhesignedupfor.Amongthemis“upholdingtheruleoflaw”,“impartialityandcompassion”and“respectfortherightsofmembersofthepublic.”ButtherecentpoliticalcrisisinHongKong,whichhasseenpoliceusingviolenttactic...
Larry Yeung* cuts a lonely figure in the police force these days.
He joined more than 20 years ago because it appealed to his sense of justice. Proudly showing off his graduation tie, he reminisces about his desire as a young recruit to serve society and help the disadvantaged.
“I abide by what the force has taught me,” he says, showing a list of values and mission he signed up for. Among them is “upholding the rule of law”, “impartiality and compassion” and “respect for the rights of members of the public.”
But the recent political crisis in Hong Kong, which has seen police using violent tactics to crack down on increasingly radical protests[1], has tested his loyalty to the force.
A demonstrator is detained by police officers during a protest in Hong Kong in August. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters“Police should protect citizens, but instead, we’ve become a too...