监警会国际专家组退出 政府发声明:将研究报告所有建议
《华尔街日报》今日(11日)报道,监警会的五人国际专家组决定请辞。监警会主席梁定邦今日下午回应指,国际专家现时已完成“阶段性工作”,因此先行退出,否认他们是辞职。
政府发言人今日下午回应指,留意到监警会表示其处理审视工作的专案组在撰写报告时,会慎重考虑国际专家小组建议,并将竭尽所能呈交公平公正、反映事件实情的报告。政府将密切关注审视结果,仔细研究审视报告的所有建议,才决定采取任何跟进行动。
政府发言人表示,监警会现时正根据《独立监察警方处理投诉委员会条例》,特别是第8条赋予它的权力,主动审视近月的大型公众活动,并竭力在2020年初就审视工作发表首阶段性报告。行政长官及警队已表明全力支持及配合有关审视工作。
监警会早前成立国际专家小组,就审视工作向监警会提出意见。当局指,留意到监警会表示其处理审视工作的专案组在撰写报告时会慎重考虑国际专家小组建议,并将竭尽所能呈交公平公正、反映事件实情的报告。
港府:呼吁公众予监警会时间空间
政府将密切关注审视结果,仔细研究审视报告的所有建议,才决定采取任何跟进行动。当局再次呼吁公众给予监警会时间和空间完成这项复杂的审视工作。
《华尔街日报》今日(11日)报道,国际专家组决定请辞。报道引述国际专家组指,监警会缺乏足够调查权力,从而满足香港市民期望,专家组无法与监警会协调出有效支持研究报告的机制,因此专家组决定请辞。
报道引述Clifford Stott指,他们建议监警会应被赋予权力,以传召及保护证人、搜集证据等。报道又指,专家组认为,尤其在未政府未有明确表示是否成立独立调查委员会时,具有公信力的监警会报告十分重要。
梁定邦下午回应指,期望来年1月初能公布“事实性报告”,将监警会收集的事实公诸于世,未来仍有3至4个报告继续进行,目前仍未进入建议阶段,正集中搜证、事实性报告。
梁定邦强调,五人国际专家小组并非辞职,而是他们已完成“阶段性工作”,所以先行退出。
五位监警会专家组小组主席为曾任英女王警察监察局总督察的Sir Denis O'Connor,其余成员包括:新西兰警察行为独立调查局主席Colin Doherty法官、澳大利亚新南威尔斯州执法与行动委员会总监Hon Michael F Adams QC、英国基尔大学自然科学研究院院长Clifford Stott教授,以及加拿大公民监察执法协会前主席 Gerry McNeilly。
监警会五人国际专家小组声明全文
In November 2019 the International Experts Panel (IEP) visited the Hong Kong Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) to assist them in the development of their ‘Thematic Study’ on the protests, confrontations and policing. While we assessed that meaningful progress had been made in data collection and analysis, we ultimately concluded that a crucial shortfall was evident in the powers, capacity and independent investigative capability of IPCC.
Given the scale and complexity of events subject to its Thematic Study, we determined that addressing at least the capacity and investigative capability shortfalls, would be necessary in order for the IPCC to begin to meet the standards citizens of Hong Kong would be likely to require of a police watchdog operating in a society that values freedoms and rights.
Since then, dialogue with the IPCC has not led to any agreed process through which the IEP would be able to effectively support the Thematic Study any further at this stage. As a result, the IEP has taken the decision to formally stand aside from its role. As a group we remain committed to supporting and engaging with the IPCC, if and when it develops the necessary capabilities and provides its draft interim report on the protests, confrontations and policing of events between June and September 2019.