Draft law may allow China police to shoot protesters: HRW
BEIJING (AFP) -
A revised draft of China's policing law could give officers the power to use firearms against peaceful protesters, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday as it called for the country to bring the legislation in line with UN standards.
The draft -- a revision to a law first adopted in 1995 and revised once before in 2012 -- was issued by the public security bureau on December 1 for public commentary before the end of the year.
It seeks to give police more concrete guidelines on the use of weapons, according to Chinese media reports.
But three out of the five situations in which it stipulates police may use firearms "after warnings are ineffective" did not conform to basic UN principles, Human Rights Watch said in comments on the draft submitted Thursday to Chinese authorities.
The legal text states that police may use weapons on those who "resist arrest or flee while or after perpetrating acts that seriously endanger national security or public safety". according a draft posted on the public security bureau's official web site.
http://www.france24.com/en/20161222-draft-law-may-allow-china-police-shoot-protesters-hrw
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