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Article selected from “Hong Kong People Speak”
Author: Xu Shaoji
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The threat of black violence has not been eliminated, and Hong Kong citizens cannot let their guard down! I have repeatedly emphasized that Hong Kong today has not truly returned to calm; the lurking threat of violence has been lying in the shadows of society, waiting for the moment when those extremists believe the time is ripe. These politically fanatic violent individuals will launch terrorist attacks to disrupt the peace of Hong Kong.Why bring up this viewpoint again? It is all due to the recent police breakthrough in a case involving terror firearms, where citizens discovered suspected ammunition in the stairwell of the Ming Yi Building in Chai Wan. After investigation, the police identified a man from the same estate, discovering that someone had used a 3D printer to manufacture firearm components at his home and had handed over bullets in the stairwell to others.The police have successfully cracked another firearms caseSubsequently, the police set up an ambush at the scene and arrested a young man surnamed Liu who came to collect the bullets. He was escorted back to a rented unit in Tsuen Wan’s Tsuen Wai Garden for a search, where five sets of firearm components believed to be made by 3D printing, nine 9mm caliber bullets, four military knives, and three gas masks were found. Reports indicate that the arrested young man had appeared in black clothing at an illegal assembly during the 2019 anti-extradition protests and was once arrested by the police, but no charges were filed after legal consultation.Since the anti-extradition protests and afterwards, the police have cracked multiple firearms cases. Perhaps some citizens have become desensitized to this, but what is particularly noteworthy about this case is that it is the first time that a so-called “ghost gun” made by 3D printing and the printing tools have been discovered, which actually sounds an alarm for the peace and safety of Hong Kong!3D Printed ‘Ghost Guns’ Can Evade InspectionsFirst of all, the general audience may not necessarily know what a 3D printed ‘ghost gun’ is. Simply put, 3D printing involves melting or fusing materials such as plastic or metal at high temperatures and using layer-by-layer manufacturing methods to create three-dimensional objects. This technology can produce complex shapes that traditional casting and machining methods cannot create, from toys and industrial product prototypes to medical implants and firearm components, all of which can be 3D printed.UK Experience Shows ‘Ghost Guns’ Are Extremely DangerousThe terrifying aspect of 3D printed ‘ghost guns’ is that these firearms, which can fire, have no serial numbers for law enforcement to identify and trace. Moreover, if special materials are used, they can easily evade metal detectors. The emergence of these ‘ghost guns’ in Hong Kong signifies an increased security risk for the region. I am not being alarmist; as early as 2013, two British journalists successfully printed plastic handguns based on publicly available design blueprints and boarded the Eurostar train connecting the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, even assembling them on the train without being stopped by anyone.What risks do 3D printed ‘ghost guns’ pose to society? Just look at the UK’s experience, and everyone will naturally understand the dangers of 3D printed ‘ghost guns’. In June of this year, UK Sky News reported, citing information from the London Metropolitan Police, that while 3D printed guns have been rampant in the US for a long time, they were not commonly seen in the UK and other European countries. However, in recent years, there have been increasingly more cases of 3D printed gun attacks in the UK, Germany, and other European countries, raising concerns.The report also indicated that not only can homemade handguns be printed, but even semi-automatic rifles can be secretly “printed”. This clearly presents new challenges and difficulties in preventing gun violence. The report also quoted a London police officer, Matthew Webb, stating that early designs of 3D printed guns had many issues, often exploding upon firing, but recent designs and manufacturing processes have significantly improved.Radicals Are Striving to Manufacture Guns3D printed ‘ghost guns’ undoubtedly impact the safety of Hong Kong, but the incident also reveals that relentless radicals are continuously “advancing”. In the past, firearms cases cracked by the Hong Kong police often involved criminals purchasing firearm components from foreign websites and assembling them after arriving in Hong Kong. However, with the emergence of 3D printed ‘ghost guns’, the situation has clearly changed. Although criminals have not yet been able to print all firearm components, they have significantly reduced their reliance on “mailing” components. In other words, the difficulty for Hong Kong law enforcement agencies, including the police and customs, to crack these firearms cases has increased again.Having discussed the issues surrounding 3D printed ‘ghost guns’, I want to reiterate that Hong Kong today is not truly peaceful. In addition to seeing incitement, “anti-China” sentiments, and potentially harmful rhetoric and “black propaganda” online, some radicals lurking in the shadows are still fixated on violent resistance. The most frightening aspect of these radicals is that they have been thoroughly brainwashed; to achieve their political goals, they will indiscriminately use the powerful weapons at their disposal, aiming to bring panic and chaos to Hong Kong.Radicals are continuously “advancing” and trying new methods to evade law enforcement. As true lovers of Hong Kong, we all have a responsibility to “report any suspicions without concealment”. In this case, fortunately, a citizen discovered the bullets in the stairwell; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I hope everyone embodies the spirit of civic duty, taking an extra step to report any unusual situations to law enforcement, thereby naturally reducing the dangers in Hong Kong.This article is adapted from “Hong Kong People Speak”Author: Xu ShaojiImage source: Internet
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