TELL THE COMPANIES: NO STUN GUN SUPPLY TO HONG KONG POLICE 促請各武器供應商拒絕向香港警隊出售電擊武器

TELL THE COMPANIES:  NO STUN GUN SUPPLY TO HONG KONG POLICE
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Background

The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is considering to source electrical devices such as tasers and stun guns available in the market to arrest suspects, according to the source from local media. We urge weapon manufacturers around the world not to sell such weapons to the HKPF due to significant human rights concerns.

While some claimed that electrical devices are safer alternatives and reducing casualties, we are concerned that these weapons, if introduced, may escalate the level of the use of force by the HKPF, especially against persons holding different political opinions, thereby violating the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as well as the right to physical security and not to be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

We have witnessed the excessive and sometimes reckless and indiscriminate police response to largely peaceful anti-government protests since June 2019, which has been documented by both local and international NGOs. From 12 June to November 2019, the HKPF has deployed 15 970 rounds of tear gas, 10 010 rounds of rubber bullets, 2 000 rounds of bean bag rounds and 1 860 rounds of sponge rounds on top of police batons according to the Legislative Council Secretariat Research Office[1]. Around 1,200 children have been arrested. It is doubtful that the new weapons will be used properly by the HKPF. We also question whether the police will be trained properly on the use of the weapons as we have observed that some frontline police officers seem to have acted without their commanders’ instructions.  

Electroshock weapons can have deadly consequences.  For example, in the United Kingdom, 18 people were killed with tasers by the police in 2018.  

Furthermore, the existing accountability mechanism, including the Independent Police Complaints Council and the Complaints Against Police Office are ineffective and have been critised by the United Nations Human Rights Committee and Committee against Torture.    

According to the United Nations Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights, companies has the responsibility to respect human rights, whether it is directly caused by the companies or linked to operations, products or services by their business relations. If the weapon companies sell stun guns or tasers to the HKPF, they may be supporting a breach of the United Nations Guidance on Less-lethal Weapons and Related Equipment in Law Enforcement. According to the Concluding Observations on the sixth periodic report of the United Kingdom, the Committee of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has stated weapon manufacturers should be subject to thorough human rights risk assessments prior to getting licences for arms exports.

[1] Legislative Council Secretariat Research Office. (2020). Guidelines on the use of less-lethal police weapons in selected places. Hong Kong.

促請各武器供應商拒絕向香港警隊出售電擊武器

背景

據本地媒體報導，香港警務處（警務處）正考慮在市場上採購電槍，以逮捕疑犯。 我們敦促世界各地的武器製造商出於對人權的嚴正關注，不要向香港警察出售此類武器。

雖然電槍被某些人視為更安全的武力替代品並能減少傷亡，但我們擔心如果警方引入這些武器，可能會提高警察部隊的武力使用水平，特別是對持不同政治見解的人的武力使用，從而侵犯言論自由、和平集會、人身安全的權利，並以及不得遭受酷刑、殘忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或處罰的權利。

自2019年6月以來，我們目睹了香港警察對大致上和平的反政府抗議活動過度、魯莽以及無差別的行動，本地和國際非政府組織都記錄在案。 根據立法會秘書處資料研究組的資料，從2019年6月12日至11月，香港警察已使用15,970發催淚彈、10,010發橡膠子彈、2,000發布袋彈和 860發海綿彈，並大約有1,200名兒童被捕。 這令人懷疑香港警察會否適當使用新武器。 我們亦注意到一些前線警員似乎在未有指揮官的指示下採取行動，此現象令人質疑警方是否會對警員進行武器使用方面的適當培訓。

電擊武器是可以致命的。例如， 2018年在英國就有18人被電槍殺害。

此外，現有的問責機制，包括獨立監察警方處理投訴委員會（監警會）及投訴警察課均未能有效監察警方，並曾受到聯合國人權委員會及聯合國禁止酷刑委員會的批評。

根據《聯合國企業與人權指導原則》，公司有責任尊重人權，不論問題是否直接由公司引起又或因為其業務、產品或通過業務關係所引起的。如果武器公司向香港警察出售電槍，它們可能在促進違反《聯合國執法中的低致命武器及相關設備指南》的行為。聯合國經濟、社會與文化權利委員會在審議英國第六次定期報告時就曾在結論性意見中表示，武器製造商必須接受徹底的人權風險評估，才可獲發牌出口武器。

Picture from Flicker https://bit.ly/2WBbUW7 

相片來自 Flicker https://bit.ly/2WBbUW7 

List of Some Top Suppliers of Stun Gun Supply:
部份電槍供應商名單：
Euro Security Products (ESP)
MARCH GROUP
Nova Security Group
Shyh Sing Enterprise 
TASER International 
Jiun-An Technology
SABRE
Shenzhen Senxunda Electronic Technology
Skyline USA 
Albayraklar Group
Axon