【兒童事務委員會非官方委員聲明】

保護兒童 向暴力說「不」

近日社會不安正衝擊著曾經充滿活力且安全十足的香港，而日前警方公佈的被捕數字亦引起我們極大的關注。自六月以來，因「修訂逃犯條例」爭議而被捕者合共2,379人，其中18歲以下者750人(31.5%)，16歲以下者104人(4.3%)。這顯示不少兒童已直接或間接地暴露於暴力及不必要武力之中，對其成長及心智發展造成嚴重且長久的不良影響。

知悉兒童及青少年處於暴力場面，身體受損，心理受創及懷疑被性侵，我們深感哀痛，並擔憂他們受暴力對待所造成的創傷及遺害難以修復。我們亦恐怕在暴力不斷升級的趨勢下可能引致各方失控的風險。為保護香港的下一代，以至整個城市，我們必須向所有暴力明確說「不」。

鑒於開學後有愈來愈多18歲及以下人士被捕，實有必要檢視目前相關處理，以減低社會的憂慮。得悉警方最近已加速處理未成年被捕人士，我們表示歡迎；不過，我們相信在執法的透明度及貫徹執行相關指引上，尚有很大改善空間。

作為兒童事務委員會的非官方委員，我們有責任督促政府及呼籲各界按聯合國兒童公約守護0-18歲兒童的最佳利益。因此，我們呼籲所有港人同心協力回復香港的常態及安寧。政府亦須加強對18歲及以下被捕人士的各項支援，及預防錯捕錯告以減少對他們造成的創傷。

同時，我們亦促請特區政府、各政策制訂者、警方及執法人員﹕

1. 以政治方式解決政治問題；

2. 嚴格執行警察通例，尤其是涉及兒童及青少年示威者以及精神上無行為能力，如智障、 自閉症人士的則例，以保證上述人士的權利及應有待遇；

3. 在制止衝突時，避免使用不必要武力；

4. 成立獨立調查委員會以檢視整個運動及涉及各方的來龍去脈，以汲取教訓；

5. 與香港市民及所有持份者維持公開對話以改善施政

我們會竭盡所能以履行非官方委員的角色，並會採取下列行動﹕

1. 呼籲家長、老師、兒童工作者及其他持份者保護兒童安全及與兒童及青少年溝通有關參與抗議活動的風險；

2. 要求與警務處處長及執法人員盡快會面，檢討處理未成年被捕人士及精神上無行為能力人士的程序、實施、進展及效果；

3. 主張「有教無類」，確保被捕兒童及青少年獲得適當支援及享有持續接受教育的權利；

4. 提升兒童事務委員會在聆聽兒童及青少年聲音的功能，確保制訂政策時能考慮到他們的獨特需要；

5. 促進公共政策以兒童最佳利益為優先考量

香港的未來實建基於兒童及青少年的身心健康成長。作為負責任的成年人，讓我們一同攜手維護一個既安全又關愛的香港予下一代生活及成長吧！

兒童事務委員會非官方委員聯署(排名按姓氏筆劃序)：

王見好
王曉莉
甘秀雲
何志權
吳堃廉
李敬恩
周偉忠
馬夏邐 (Shalini Mahtani)
曾潔雯
黃梓謙
葉柏強
雷張慎佳
歐陽偉康
潘淑嫻
鄭佩慧
鄭煦喬
黛雅 (Baker Fariha Salma Deiya)
譚紫茵
蘇淑賢

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【Joint Statement by Non-official members of the Commission on Children】

Say “NO to Violence” and Protect our Children

The recent social unrest has challenged the stability of Hong Kong which used to be a vibrant and safe place in which to live. The figures recently released by the Police are of great concern to us. Of 2,379 individuals arrested, 750 (31.5%) are under the age of 18 and 104 (4.3%) are under the age of 16. Many children (aged 18 and below) are exposed directly and indirectly to violence and unnecessary force which will cause serious, prolonged and negative impacts in their development.

We are deeply saddened to learn that many Hong Kong children were in violent situations and there are allegations of physical injury, sexual assault and psychological trauma. We worry that the experience of violence will traumatize children and this will be extremely difficult to repair. We also worry that the escalation of violence by different parties will result in a situation where the violence will become out of control. In order to protect our next generation and the entire city, we explicitly say “NO to ALL Violence”.

As more children have been arrested since the start of the school term, the handling of minors urgently requires review. Whilst we are encouraged that the process for handling child and juvenile detainees has been accelerated, we believe that more can be done to improve the transparency and implementation of Police General Orders by law enforcement officers while minors are under arrest or in custody.

As non-official members of the Commission on Children, our role is to advise the Government on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and to ensure that the best interests of children are considered at all times. It is on these grounds that we appeal to the Government and all Hong Kong people to restore the city to normalcy and peacefulness. The Government should strengthen the support given to children aged 18 and below who have been arrested, and take measures to prevent cases where children are wrongly arrested or charged in order to minimise the trauma caused to those children.

We sincerely ask our Government, policymakers, police and law enforcement officers to:

(1) Resolve political conflicts with political measures;

(2) Ensure children’s rights are respected and to treat child and juvenile protestors, in accordance with the Police General Orders for minors, including Mentally Incapacitated Persons such as those with mental disabilities and autism;

(3) Avoid using unnecessary force to stop clashes;

(4) Set up an Independent Commission of Inquiry to review the entire social movement and all parties involved; and

(5) Maintain open dialogue with all Hong Kong people and stakeholders

We, as non-official members of the Commission on Children, will endeavour to:

(1) Advise parents, teachers, child health workers and other stakeholders to keep children safe and to communicate with children and adolescents the risks of taking part in protests;

(2) Meet with the Commissioner of Police and law enforcement officers to review the procedures of Police General Orders concerning minors, including mentally incapacitated persons: its implementation, periodic updates and outcomes;

(3) Advocate “education for all” and ensure appropriate support and the provision of continuous education for child and juvenile detainees;

(4) Enhance the function of the Commission on Children of listening to the voices of children and adolescents, to ensure that appropriate policies are formulated to meet their specific needs; and

(5) Ensure that government policies prioritise the interests of children

The future of a city depends on the wellbeing and healthy development of its children and youth. Let’s work together as responsible adults to keep Hong Kong a safe and nurturing place for our next generation to live and to grow.

The Statement was issued by the below Non-official Members of the Commission on Children (in alphabetical order):

Peter Au Yeung
Bakar Fariha Salma Deiya Cheng Hui Kiu
Janus Cheng
Winson Chow
Dennis Ho
Patrick IP
Sanly Kam
Edwin Lee
Priscilla Lui
Shalini Mahtani
Kenny Ng
Halina Poon
Susan So
Michelle Tam
Sandra Tsang
Gary Wong
Kathy Wong
Lilian Wong