Addressing yesterday’s Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said that the city’s police officers always carry out law enforcement in strict adherence with the law, adding that during the various assemblies and protests that have taken place in the city over the past few years, police officers have always followed the same standards of law enforcement.
Wong made the remarks when answering a question from directly-elected non-establishment lawmaker Au Kam San, on the last day of a two-day Q&A session about his portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year.
In his question, Au slammed the police for “suppressing” social movements such as demonstrations in recent years by accusing protestors of aggravated disobedience and by “abusing” the Penal Code’s article on aggravated disobedience.
Directly-elected non-establishment lawmaker Sulu Sou Ka Hou has been accused by the police of aggravated disobedience during a protest last year. The legislature is currently considering a request by a judge to suspend Sou from the legislature so that he can stand trial for the alleged crime.
According to Au, the police have accused several dozen residents of aggravated disobedience since Wong took office three years ago. He said that such numbers were “unprecedentedly” high for Macau which he described as a “peaceful” city.
Wong replied that it was always police officers’ responsibility to enforce the law, adding that it was considered a dereliction of duty if police officers failed to enforce the law.
According to Wong, since 2014 until now there have been a total of 1,882 assemblies and 147 protests in the city. Wong said that 46 men and 12 women were accused by the police of aggravated disobedience in 12 protests and two assemblies during the period.
Wong asked rhetorically, “Why have the police only accused these few people [of aggravated disobedience] when there were a large number of assemblies and protests [that took place during the three years]?”, adding that, “Why do these people choose to disobey the law?”
Au also claimed that the police have banned “many” people from entering Macau in recent years by “abusing” the Internal Security Framework Law, such as scholars, reporters, social workers and politicians.
In reply, Wong stressed that every country or region has its own immigration policies with the aim of ensuring its public security, such as by barring anyone considered to have an adverse impact on its public security from entering the country or region.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak addresses yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. Photo: Tony Wong
