Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Independent Inquiry

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Public Order Policing in Hong Kong

  • 420 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter provides a critical review of the utility, feasibility and desirability of setting up an Independent Commission of Inquiry (ICI) for the Mongkok Riot (MKR). Section I: “Independent Commission of Inquiry” provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of such an institution. Section II: “HK Commissioner of Inquiry and Task Force” discusses the legal foundation and prior appointments of ICIs in Hong Kong. Section III: “Legislative Council Debates” details the pros and cons of the ICI debate, and discusses the issues involved. Section IV discusses the “Necessity, Utility and Functionality of MKR Inquiry” in theory and practice. It concludes that an ICI is able to establish facts, but would not be able discover causes for the MKR scientifically. Section V: “Feasibility” proposes that the HK Special Administrative Region Government investigate what happened during the MKR as an historical and reconciliation project. Section VI is the "Concusion" calls for an independent inquiry which is "scientifically designed and evidence based, examining MKR from inside out and bottom up" by and for the HK people.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Karen Cheung, “Scholars and professionals call for independent investigation of Mong Kok unrest,” HKFP February 15, 2016.

  2. 2.

    See MK incident opinion survey. Future@HK April, 2017. Lingnan University—Public Governance Program, Q13: “Do you think HKSAR [the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] should establish an independent commission to conduct a comprehensive investigate the MK [Mongkok]” incident? Response: 64.9% for versus 26.3% against. Chapter Six, supra.

  3. 3.

    Proposal.

  4. 4.

    Section 9: “Power to order attendance of witnesses: (1) The Council or a standing committee thereof may, subject to sections 13 and 14, order any person to attend before the Council or before such committee and to give evidence or to produce any paper, book, record or document in the possession or under the control of such person.”

  5. 5.

    “學者促獨立調查旺角衝突 泛民擬引用特權法調查” (“Scholars urged the establishment of independent inquiry into MK confrontation with the use of Legislative Council) Powers and Privileges) Ordinance”) 香港獨立媒體 ( inmediahk.net ) February 10, 2016.

  6. 6.

    Press Release: “Government’s response to proposal for setting up independent commission of inquiry into Mong Kok riot,” HKG ( info.gov.hk ). February 15, 2016.

  7. 7.

    Ibid.

  8. 8.

    Ibid.

  9. 9.

    House Committee of the Legislative Council, Minutes of the 16th meeting held in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2016. Legislative council. CB2/H/5/15. LC Paper No. CB(2) 1042/15-16.

  10. 10.

    House Committee of the Legislative Council Minutes of the 16th meeting held in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2016, pp. 14 to 24.

  11. 11.

    Letter from Hon WONG Yuk-man (LC Paper No. CB(2) 957/15-16(01)).

  12. 12.

    Joint letter from 22 Members (LC Paper No. CB(2) 957/15-16(02)).

  13. 13.

    Press releases, LCQ5: ‘Mong Kok riot.’ HKG ( info.gov.hk ). Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

  14. 14.

    HK LegCo, OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The Council met at 11 a.m. p. 6506.

  15. 15.

    Mr. Wu Chi-wai, Mr. Albert Ho, Ms. Cyd Ho, Mr Cheung Kwok-che, Mr. Leung Yiu-chung, Mr. Ip Kin-yuen, Dr. Helena Wong, Ms. Emily Lau, Mr. Lee Cheuk-yan, Mr. Charles Peter Mok, Mr Sin Chung-kai, Mr Alvin Yeung, Mr Dennis Kwok, Dr. Kwok Ka-ki, Ms. Claudia Mo, Dr. Kenneth Chan, Mr. Alan Leong, Mr. Leung Kwok-hung, Mr. Gary Fan, Mr. Wong Yuk-man, Mr. Chan Chi-chuen, Mr. Albert Chan, Mr. Frederick Fung and Prof. Joseph Lee.

  16. 16.

    Kimmy Chung, No British-style probe into causes of Mong Kok riot, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says,” SCMP June 13, 2018.

  17. 17.

    Ibid.

  18. 18.

    Sulitzeanu-Kenan, Raanan & and Yifat Holzman-Gazit, “Form and Content: Institutional Preferences and Public Opinion in a Crisis Inquiry,” Administration & Society Volume: 48 (1) 3–30 (2016), 5.

  19. 19.

    Roderick Alexander Macdonald, An Analysis of the Forms and Functions of Independent Commissions of Inquiry (Royal Commissions) in Canada,” Center for Legal and Economic Studies, McGill University, July 20, 2011.

  20. 20.

    Ibid.

  21. 21.

    Commissions of inquiry—Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

  22. 22.

    The Honourable Mr. Justice David H. Wright Commissioner, Report of the Commission of Inquiry Into Matters Relating to the Death of Neil Stonechild (October 2004). “The Objectives of a Commission of Inquiry and the Standard Applicable to Inquiries.”

  23. 23.

    Canada (Attorney General) v. Canada (Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System), [1997] 3 S.C.R. 440, 151 D.L.R. at para. 29.

  24. 24.

    Legitimacy as “a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions.” Sulitzeanu-Kenan, Raanan & and Yifat Holzman-Gazit, “Form and Content: Institutional Preferences and Public Opinion in a Crisis Inquiry.” Administration & Society Vol. 48 (1): 3–30 (2016) 6.

  25. 25.

    Ibid.

  26. 26.

    Justice John H. Gomery, “The Pros and Cons of Commissions of Inquiry.” 51 McGill L.J. 783 (2006).

  27. 27.

    Ibid.

  28. 28.

    Gerken, Heather K., “The Double-Edged Sword of Independence: Inoculating Electoral Reform Commissions Against Everyday Politics” (2007). Yale Law school Scholarship Depository. Faculty Scholarship Series. Paper 352, pp. 186–7.

  29. 29.

    Marshall J. Breger, Gary J. Edles, Independent Agencies in the United States: Law, Structure, and Politics (Oxford University Press, 2015), p. 1.

  30. 30.

    An Analysis of the Forms and Functions of Independent Commissions of Inquiry (Royal Commissions) in Canada. McGill University July 20, 2011.

  31. 31.

    Ibid. p. 8.

  32. 32.

    In HK, “The Commissions Powers Ordinances, 1886” was first promulgated on December 14, 1886. (No. 23 of 1886). Its preamble describes it as: “An Ordinance entitled An Ordinance to enable the Governor of Hongkong to appoint Commissioners under the seal of the Colony and to confer certain powers on Commissioners so appointed necessary for conducting Inquiries.” The Ordinances of the Legislative Council of the Colony of Hongkong: 1879–1990 (Hong Kong Noronha & Company Government printers, 1892), p. 878.

  33. 33.

    The latest version of CAP 87 can be found at http://www.blis.gov.hk/blis_pdf.nsf/CurAllEngDoc/B916B9B2855C3479482575EE0037AEEC/$FILE/CAP_86_e_b5.pdf (Visited June 8, 2018).

  34. 34.

    Section 2 of Commissions of Inquiry Ordinance (Chapter 86).

  35. 35.

    “Reports of Special Committee and Independent Enquiries” retrieved from Accounts of the Government and Government Reports: Government, Law & Order, HKG.

  36. 36.

    For Reports of Special Committees and Independent Enquiries (1999–2015), retrieved from Accounts of the Government and Government Reports: Government, Law & Order, HKG.

  37. 37.

    House Committee of the Legislative Council Minutes of the 16th meeting held in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, 26 February 2016. Ref : CB2/H/5/15. LC Paper No. CB(2)1042/15-16.

  38. 38.

    Hon WONG Yuk-man’s letter of petition: LC Paper No. CB(2)957/15-16(01).

  39. 39.

    22 Members’ letter of petition: LC Paper No. CB(2)957/15-16(02)).

  40. 40.

    LC Paper No. CB(2)1042/15-16. Ref.: CB2/H/5/15. House Committee of the Legislative Council. Minutes of the 16th meeting held in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2016:

    IX. Proposals to seek the Council’s authorization for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the clashes between the Police and the public in Mong Kok on February 8–9, 2016 and related matters: (a)Letter from Hon WONG Yuk-man (LC Paper No. CB(2)957/15-16(01)) (b) Joint letter from 22 Members (LC Paper No. CB(2)957/15-16(02)), p. 14.

  41. 41.

    Ibid para. 50.

  42. 42.

    Ibid para. 51.

  43. 43.

    Conceptually, “官逼民反” (“the oppressive government has driven the people to revolt”) “[旺角黑夜] 曾鈺成六七暴動言論 遭網民翻舊帳 (“MK Dark Night”: Tsang Yuk-Shingspeech on 67 Riot, caused Netizen criticism in revisiting past comment (Tsang Yuk-Shing was taken to task for denying oppressive governance can lead to rebellion.).

  44. 44.

    Conceptually以武易暴(“counter violence with violence”). Chung Ho Fung. “ A Tale of Two Societies: Fragments of an Ethnography on Umbrella Revolution,” The Hong Kong Anthropologist Volume 7: 1–19 (2015).

  45. 45.

    LC Paper No. CB(2)1042/15-16. Ref: CB2/H/5/15. House Committee of the Legislative Council. Minutes of the 16th meeting held in Conference Room 1 of the Legislative Council Complex at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2016, Para. 53.

  46. 46.

    Ibid. para. 54.

  47. 47.

    Ibid. para. 55.

  48. 48.

    Ibid. para. 56–7.

  49. 49.

    Ibid. para. 57.

  50. 50.

    Ibid. para. 58.

  51. 51.

    Ibid. para. 59.

  52. 52.

    Ibid. para. 60.

  53. 53.

    Ibid. para. 61.

  54. 54.

    Ibid. para. 62.

  55. 55.

    Ibid. para. 63.

  56. 56.

    Ibid. para. 64–65.

  57. 57.

    Ibid. para. 65.

  58. 58.

    Ibid. para. 66.

  59. 59.

    Ibid. para. 67.

  60. 60.

    Ibid. para. 68.

  61. 61.

    Ibid. para. 69.

  62. 62.

    Ibid. para. 70.

  63. 63.

    Ibid. para. 71.

  64. 64.

    Ibid. para. 72.

  65. 65.

    Ibid. para. 73.

  66. 66.

    Ibid. para. 74.

  67. 67.

    Ibid. para. 75.

  68. 68.

    Ibid. para. 77.

  69. 69.

    Ibid. para. 76.

  70. 70.

    Ibid. para. 78.

  71. 71.

    Ibid. para. 79.

  72. 72.

    Ibid. para. 80.

  73. 73.

    Ibid. para. 81.

  74. 74.

    Ibid. para. 83.

  75. 75.

    Ibid. para. 85.

  76. 76.

    Democratic Party (Functional Constituency—District Council (Second).

  77. 77.

    Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions; Labour Party (The Labour Party positions itself as a social democratic party with the principles of “Democracy, Justice, Sustainability and Solidarity”) (Pro-democracy, anti-Beijing).

  78. 78.

    Democratic Party (Functional Constituency—District Council (Second).

  79. 79.

    Neighbourhood and Worker’s Service Centre.

  80. 80.

    Democratic Party.

  81. 81.

    Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People’s Livelihood (Functional Constituency—District Council (Second).

  82. 82.

    Functional Constituency—Health Services.

  83. 83.

    Civic Act-up, Labour Party (the Labour Party positions itself as a social democratic party with the principles of “Democracy, Justice, Sustainability and Solidarity”).

  84. 84.

    Hong Kong Social Workers’ General Union, Labour Party.

  85. 85.

    Civic Party (“Promotes democratic politics that includes all citizens and truly speaks to their interests. This is not just our aspiration but our right. We believe Hong Kong is ready for the election of the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council by universal suffrage and it should be implemented without further delay … We believe that transparency and participation in the policy-making process is a key element of good governance … The power of the National People’s Congress to interpret the Basic Law should not be exercised without the utmost self-restraint and prudence…”).

  86. 86.

    April Fifth Action, League of Social Democrats.

  87. 87.

    People Power.

  88. 88.

    Chairman, Proletariat Political Institute Company Limited.

  89. 89.

    Civic Party.

  90. 90.

    Democratic Party.

  91. 91.

    Neo democrats.

  92. 92.

    The Professional Commons (to achieve equal and universal suffrage; to monitor government through professional analysis; to engage with the community in developing public policies) (Functional Constituency—Information Technology).

  93. 93.

    People Power, The Frontier.

  94. 94.

    Civic Party.

  95. 95.

    The Professional Commons (Functional Constituency—Accountancy).

  96. 96.

    Civic Party.

  97. 97.

    Labor Party.

  98. 98.

    Democratic Party.

  99. 99.

    Democratic Party.

  100. 100.

    Vice-President, Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union(Functional Constituency—Education).

  101. 101.

    DAB (The party is known as a Beijing loyalist party of “loving China and loving Hong Kong”).

  102. 102.

    DAB.

  103. 103.

    Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (Professional Forum—Real Estate and Construction) (Pro-Beijing).

  104. 104.

    Liberal Party (Functional Constituency—Catering) (The Liberal Party (Chinese: 自由黨) is a pro-Beijing, pro-business conservative political party in HK established in 1993).

  105. 105.

    Liberal Party (Functional Constituency—Wholesale & Retail).

  106. 106.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions. (The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU) was founded in 1948. HKFTU’s first priority is to safeguard labor rights and fight for the welfare of employees.)

  107. 107.

    Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (Functional Constituency—Commercial (First).

  108. 108.

    DAB (Economic Synergy; Functional Constituency—Import and Export).

  109. 109.

    DAB (Functional Constituency—District Council (Second).

  110. 110.

    DAB.

  111. 111.

    Functional Constituency—Insurance. Oppose violence (1.00). Immature youth. Punish kids. Also make them understand. (3.20). “To help young people get back on the right track, the Govt is duty-bound.” February 18, 2016.

  112. 112.

    Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong.

  113. 113.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.

  114. 114.

    DAB (Functional Constituency—District Council (First).

  115. 115.

    New People’s Party.

  116. 116.

    Independent.

  117. 117.

    Liberal Party.

  118. 118.

    Independent (Functional Constituency—Finance).

  119. 119.

    DAB (Functional Constituency—Agriculture and Fisheries).

  120. 120.

    Liberal Party (Functional Constituency—Transport).

  121. 121.

    Independent (Functional Constituency—Tourism).

  122. 122.

    New Forum (Functional Constituency—Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication).

  123. 123.

    DAB.

  124. 124.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (Functional Constituency—District Council (Second).

  125. 125.

    DAB.

  126. 126.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.

  127. 127.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (Functional Constituency—Labour).

  128. 128.

    Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (Functional Constituency—Financial Services).

  129. 129.

    DAB.

  130. 130.

    The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (Functional Constituency—Commercial (Second).

  131. 131.

    The Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon Labour Unions (Functional Constituency—Labour).

  132. 132.

    Functional Constituency—Labour.

  133. 133.

    DAB.

  134. 134.

    Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (Functional Constituency—Engineering).

  135. 135.

    DAB.

  136. 136.

    Functional Constituency—Architectural, Surveying and Planning (there has been a gross lack of harmony and cohesion in HK communities in recent years).

  137. 137.

    “Public Inquiries in the dock” (54.44 minutes). (Battle of Ideas: Published on December 20, 2012) (John Cooper, leading criminal and human rights barrister; regular columnist The Times and Observer; editor Criminal Bar Quarterly; Jon Holbrook, practicing barrister, writer on law; Lee Hughes, consultant, Alexander Litvinenko inquest; secretary, Hutton Inquiry; Chair: Richard Reynolds, trainee barrister; formerly paralegal, Baha Mousa and Al Sweady Public Inquiries; founder, Student Academics for Academic Freedom.

  138. 138.

    Ibid.

  139. 139.

    Ibid.

  140. 140.

    Susan A. Bandes, “Victims, “Closure”, and the Sociology of Emotion” (University of Chicago Public Law & Legal Theory Working Paper No. 208, 2008).

  141. 141.

    Clive Coleman, “London fire: Inquest versus inquiry,” BBC June 23, 2016.

  142. 142.

    Ibid.

  143. 143.

    The HKG did not want an ICI in part because CE Leung did not want the pan-democrats to use the ICI as a distraction. 張心怡, “獨立調查委員會有無必要?” (Is ICI necessary?) LITNEWS February 17, 2015.

  144. 144.

    Roderick Alexander Macdonald, An Analysis of the Forms and Functions of Independent Commissions of Inquiry (Royal Commission) in Canada, McGill Faculty of Law Montreal, Quebec July 2011. 2018).

  145. 145.

    Ibid.

  146. 146.

    Ibid. p. 6.

  147. 147.

    P.A.J. Waddington, Riots, meaning, and social phenomena, OUP Blog October 18, 2013.

  148. 148.

    Ibid.

  149. 149.

    Ibid.

  150. 150.

    Joan Neff Gurney and Kathleen J. Tierney, “Relative Deprivation and Social Movements: A Critical Look at Twenty Years of Theory and Research,” The Sociological Quarterly Vol. 23 (1): 33–47 (Winter, 1982).

  151. 151.

    Gresham M. Sykes and David Matza, “Techniques of neutralization: A theory of delinquency,” American Sociological Review Vol. 22 (6): 664–670 (December, 1957).

  152. 152.

    Martin Luther King—Civil Disobedience.

  153. 153.

    Shirley Zhao Ernest Kao Jeffie Lam, “Occupy Central’s Benny Tai declares ‘era of civil disobedience’ for Hong Kong,” SCMP August 31, 2014.

  154. 154.

    P.A.J. Waddington, Riots, meaning, and social phenomena, OUP Blog October 18, 2013.

  155. 155.

    Jasmine Siu, “First convicted Mong Kok rioter to avoid jail sent to training centre instead,” SCMP August 7, 2017.

  156. 156.

    Le Bon, Gustave, Psychology of Crowds (1895).

  157. 157.

    P.A.J. Waddington, Riots, meaning, and social phenomena, OUP Blog October 18, 2013.

  158. 158.

    Ibid.

  159. 159.

    Ibid.

  160. 160.

    Ibid.

  161. 161.

    “Discovering Truth in Research” Posted on December 13, 2012. Sage Connection.

  162. 162.

    Immanuel Kant. Critique of Judgment. (n/d).

  163. 163.

    Werner J. Einstadter, Stuart Henry, Criminological theory: an analysis of its underlying assumptions (Rowman and Littlefield, 2006).

  164. 164.

    “The Nature of Human Beings: East and West”, Human Beings and Freedom: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, edited by J. L. Shaw and M. Hemmingsen, Punthi Pustak, Kolkata, 2011, pp. 288–315.

  165. 165.

    Herbert L. Packer, Two Models of the Criminal Process.

  166. 166.

    “Chapter 6: The Source of Paradigmatic Thinking.” Eric A. Kreuter, Kenneth M. Moltner, Treatment and Management of Maladaptive Schemas (Springer, 2014).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xavier University (Emeritus), Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kam C. Wong

Authors
  1. Kam C. Wong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Wong, K.C. (2019). Independent Inquiry. In: Public Order Policing in Hong Kong. Palgrave Advances in Criminology and Criminal Justice in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98672-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98672-2_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98671-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98672-2

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation