Hong Kong police to enhance cybersecurity against threat of violent members of anti-government movement ‘going underground’
- Police chief Raymond Siu says ‘bad faith actors’ are inciting young people to commit violence, targeting them through media, culture and the arts
- Siu sets goal of clarifying false information ‘within two hours of it spreading’ with officials weighing up a fake news law for the city
Hong Kong’s police chief has said the force will enhance its cyber-intelligence capabilities to detect anyone committing seditious acts, as he warned of the potential for violent elements of the anti-government movement to shift their operations underground.
He again blamed “fake news” for stoking divisions between Hong Kong’s youth on the one side and the government and police on the other, saying that magazine articles and short online videos were among the tools being used to target young people.
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Hong Kong top cop Raymond Siu tells Yonden Lhatoo about challenges of policing after protests
“In the past two years, there has been a lot of fake news and misinformation causing huge misunderstanding among young people about police, the government and the country,” Siu told a radio show.
“We have now given ourselves a goal that we should clarify any false information within two hours of it spreading.”
He added: “Even though the situation in Hong Kong has stabilised, there is still a chance of violent elements going underground.”
Calling for increased vigilance against threats to Hong Kong security, he urged residents to report any suspicious items, or even people around them expressing radical views. He warned those taking anti-government stances to stay within the confines of the law.
Siu has previously laid the blame on misinformation for undermining the reputation of the police force, insisting its relations with residents were not as bad as people thought.
