any force unless strictly unavoidable. Orders to disperse protests should only be given in extreme situations when peaceful measures have failed and where this is strictly necessary to prevent death or serious injury. The type of equipment, including less lethal weapons, used to control and disperse an assembly should be carefully considered and only used proportionately, lawfully and to the minimal extent possible. All deaths or injuries must be thoroughly and independently investigated and those found responsible of the unlawful use of force should be brought to justice. More broadly, all police officers need to be aware of and receive regular training in relevant international human rights law and standards, in particular the UN Basic Principles and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials; their activities should be monitored to ensure that any force is used as a last resort and is proportional and necessary to the achievement of a legitimate objective. © EPA/Oliver Weiken Hundreds of people are confronted by policemen and security forces during a protest in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, 7 July 2009. The police and security forces committed serious human rights violations during and in the aftermath of the July 2009 protests including beatings and arbitrary arrests and unnecessary or excessive use of force. 22 China’s Trade in Tools of Torture and Repression Amnesty International – Index: ASA 17/042/2014