Hong Kong police watchdog upholds actions against protesters
Associated PressHONG KONG — A long-awaited report from an official Hong Kong police watchdog group issued Friday said officers used force only in response to threats to their safety during months of anti-government protests last year. Police fired live rounds on 12 occasions when they “had reasonable suspicion of lethal force” being used or prepared against them, the Independent Police Complaints Council said in the lengthy report. Although described as independent, the council is appointed by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, leading critics to say it ultimately serves the interests of the pro-Beijing administration rather than civil society. The human rights group Amnesty International said in March that the council lacked impartiality and echoed protesters’ demands that the government establish a truly independent inquiry into police conduct.