Between July and November 2019, ap- proximately 8,000 Hong Kong protesters against the now-withdrawn extradition bill were arrested.

Civil Rights Observer, a Hong Kong organization formed during the 2014 Um- brella Revolution to monitor police abuse of powers and political rights in Hong Kong, interviewed 45 of those arrested. It revealed at least 13 suffered “severe assault or inju- ries” inflicted by the police; 16 said access to lawyers was delayed and three claimed they were sexually assaulted.

One of those arrested said police slammed his head into the door of the police van 12 times, hit him with batons and, when at the police station, three officers continued the abuse, taking turns hitting him for 15 minutes, with one officer kicking him in the abdomen. South China Morning Post reported he had to be sent to hospital for “treatment in a neurosurgery ward.”

The pro-Beijing camp argued force used was necessary to “re- store law and order.”

The Independent Police Complaints Council will report on its fact-finding exercise to “identify any fault or deficiency in any practice or procedure adopted by the police force.”

Apparently, investi- gations are no deterrent. Commenting on po- lice use of pepper spray on May 27 against pro-

testers in opposition to the National Anthem Bill, Amnesty International condemned the crackdown. “Today’s excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the police to

disperse protesters once again exposes the authorities’ utter disregard for human rights on the streets of Hong Kong.”