By Hong Kong’s Democratic Party

HONG KONG -- The fatal shooting of a Nepalese man by a police officer on March 17 led to a huge protest by ethnic minorities here. Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau and a member of the party’s central committee, Wilson Li, say the protest may be the tip of an iceberg, part of deep and long-held discontent due to the problem of racial discrimination.

In early April, the Democratic Party interviewed 539 respondents in an opinion poll about the shooting and racial discrimination. Fifty-nine per cent said Hong Kong’s government should set up an independent commission to investigate the fatal shooting. Only 27 per cent disagreed.

The public believes that rather than allow the police force to investigate itself, an independent commission should do the job. That would prevent conflict of interest and uphold natural justice. Conversely, a police inquiry will do little to enhance the force’s integrity, may undermine the government’s credibility and could tarnish Hong Kong’s reputation. Lau and Li urge the administration to set up such a commission.

A video-recording by a witness showed a police officer yelling warnings to the distraught Nepalese man in Cantonese before opening fire. Do the police lack cultural sensitivity and language skills to deal with ethnic minorities in difficult situations?

In the survey, 71 per cent agreed that the government should give more training to police and government staff to help with matters involving ethnic minorities. Lau urges the government to enhance training and provide support to improve communication with, and sensitivity to, ethnic minorities.

Fifty-five per cent of the respondents believe the ethnic minorities living and working in Hong Kong are accepted by the public and can integrate into society. But 67 per cent say Hong Kong people don’t know the needs and situations of ethnic minorities. Fifty-one per cent believe Hong Kong has racial-discrimination problems.

Lau and Li reckon that most Hong Kong people accept ethnic minorities and appreciate their contributions to the city. But racial discrimination exists due to a lack of mutual understanding. The government must do much more to ensure that ethnic minorities receive equitable education and adequate, fair access to jobs.

Last July, the Legislative Council passed a racial discrimination bill. Although imperfect, it represents a step forward. Guidelines to promote racial equality being drafted by the government should extend to all bureaus and departments, not just to services like health care, education, vocational training, employment and community services.

Definitely, the guidelines should cover the police. In fact, they should be incorporated into the Police General Orders and the Police Procedures Manual so that any officer in violation could face disciplinary proceedings.

The government also should provide more resources to the Equal Opportunities Commission and to ethnic-minority concern groups. That would lead to more public education to build awareness and acceptance of ethnic minorities.



Not many non-Chinese appear
on Hong Kong's busy sidewalks.

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