The growing problem of young people committing crimes in Hong Kong stemmed from the social unrest beginning last year and the young people arrested in the unrest are victims used by others, a senior Hong Kong police official said Saturday.
Speaking at a round table organized by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Chris Tang Ping-keung, commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said young people committing crimes has become a trend in Hong Kong, which is worrying.
In 2019, a total of 4,268 young people were arrested, an increase of more than 50 percent from 2018. Of the 8,057 people arrested from last June to April 2020, more than 40 percent were reported being students, according to Tang.
He noted that these young people were instilled with hatred for the police and used to commit illegal acts by some politicians whose attempt was to undermine Hong Kong's rule of law and the police's ability to enforce law.
Tang said that Hong Kong is facing a breakdown of rule of law, with violence lurking in people's daily life, which would ultimately threaten national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
Tang criticized some people for beautifying violence which distorted many young people's values.
The ideas of so-called "achieving justice by violating the law" and "mutual destruction" run counter to the spirit of the rule of law, Tang said.
"If you want to be a real hero, you should take responsibility for Hong Kong, stand up for justice and say 'no' to violence," he added.
