Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung (right) speaks to the Legislative Council Panel on Security as he and Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee attend a special meeting on Monday. Provided to China Daily

The police have defended the practice of establishing "core security zones", during the visit of Vice-Premier Li Keqiang to Hong Kong and have dismissed as unfounded a charge that three students at the University of Hong Kong were placed under false imprisonment.

Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung countered on Monday that the three students had been asked repeatedly by university security to leave the area.

The Legislative Council Panel on Security held a special meeting on Monday to discuss the security arrangements at the new government headquarters and during visits by political dignitaries.

Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee and a number of government officials attended. Representatives of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and International Federation of Journalists were also present.

During Li's visit, there were complaints that press areas were too far from activities so that media coverage was obstructed.

A resident of Laguna City private housing complex was reportedly taken away by men in black after he entered the core security zone.

The students who complained said they were locked up on the rear stairs area of a building for an hour.

Addressing the panel, Lee said the government attaches great importance to the concept of press freedom.

But, he said, it is necessary to strike a balance between press freedom and the safety of political dignitaries, while risk assessments are made with reference to the latest international scenario and previous experience.

Lee called for understanding from citizens when they are more or less inconvenienced by the security measures.

Responding to lawmaker Ronnie Tong, Tsang said the term "core security zone" is police jargon.

He said the legal basis for creating these zones comes from Section 10 of the Police Force Ordinance.

Tsang, who first mentioned the term after Li's visit, said when the resident entered the core security zone at Laguna City on Aug 16, the police intervened.

He confirmed the men in black were police officers responsible for VIP protection and that they had shown the man their warrant cards at that time.

Given that the resident had complained about the police, Tsang pledged the case will be investigated in a fair manner.

Tsang said the police merely prevented the three students from entering the security (activity) zone on the campus, but had not imprisoned them.

They were handed over to university security soon after the incident. The police at the time had not expressly or tacitly stated to the students that they were not allowed to leave, Tsang said.

"They even abused police officers with foul language, phoned reporters to ask them to come to the site to cover their news, and had walked in and out of the stair area several times," he told the panel.

Another meeting will be held as many lawmakers had no time to raise their questions.

Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang and the police chief will meet with media organizations during the week to discuss future press coverage arrangements.

joseph@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 08/30/2011 page1)