Deputy Police Chief Kan to Retire, Warns on Covert Resistance
Crhk · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kan Kai-yan (簡啟恩), who is responsible for national security, will retire on Tuesday after reflecting on enforcement work since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. He said Hong Kong had weak national security awareness in the early post-handover years, and that after the anti-national education protests, Occupy Central and the 2019 anti-extradition bill unrest, the national security law enabled police to act according to law and helped move society from disorder to stability. Kan said every posting in his police career had been meaningful, but serving in the National Security Department before retirement was especially significant and an honour. He also said “soft resistance” persists constantly even though street violence has declined, with tactics becoming more hidden and moving underground
Key Points
- Kan said “soft resistance” now operates through culture, the arts and online platforms, spreading false information and trying to stir hatred against the Hong Kong and central governments
- After police searched several independent bookstores and arrested staff and operators, Kan rejected calls for a banned-books list, saying any published list would quickly become outdated and contentious
- He argued police action was not an abuse of power, saying Hong Kong has many bookstores and enforcement targeted only a very small number of books with allegedly seditious content
- Referring to bounty warrants issued from July 2023 for overseas fugitives suspected of national security offences, Kan said the measure had effectively narrowed their room to survive and speak
- On the Security Bureau’s positive guidance programme for youths arrested over the 2019 unrest, Kan said serious cases with sufficient evidence would still be pursued, while the scheme helps rebuild legal awareness
Why It Matters
Kan’s remarks indicate that national security enforcement is expected to remain focused not only on overt acts but also on expression and networks that police view as covert mobilisation. For Hong Kong readers, that means continued scrutiny of bookselling, online speech and support activities linked to wanted overseas figures, even as officials promote rehabilitation for some young arrestees