Hong Kong gears up security for WTO meet
HONG KONG, Monday (AFP) Worried by violent protests at international
meetings from Argentina to South Korea, security officials in Hong Kong
are preparing to batten down the hatches for the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) meeting here this month.
Some 9,000 police officers will be deployed for around-the-clock
duties, schools and businesses near the meeting venue will either be
closed or asked to step up security and the land and water area
surrounding the harbour-front venue will be sealed off.
The government is taking no chances with any possible violence at the
Sixth Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held here December 13-18.
With at least 10,000 local and overseas protesters expected to
descend on the Chinese territory during the summit, police said they
were well prepared to deal with any possible scenarios."This is the
largest operation ever for the police.
We have invested a huge amount of resources in this in the past 18
months," said Alfred Ma, chief superintendent of police public
relations.
"We've done very detailed planning to cover each area and we are
prepared for the worst. It's a high manpowered intensive operation," he
said.
They have observed police tactics, security arrangements and clashes
between anti-globalisation groups and police during international
political gatherings such as the Group of Eight meeting in Edinburgh in
the summer and last month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in
Pusan, South Korea.
Hong Kong authorities are trying to avoid the scenes of rioting and
clashes with police that marred the Summit of the Americas at Mar Del
Plata in Argentina last month. |