Anti-mask legislation in Hong Kong is needed to safeguard the special administrative region's lawfulness, barrister-at-law and the Executive Council Vice Chairman for Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, Kacee Ting, told CGTN.

"Protesters will be less aggressive when they wear no mask, and the police can identify violent protesters more easily and most importantly. Mask-off can greatly reduce the risks of an escalation of violence," said Ting.

Ting added that anti-mask laws could be put into place once the SAR government decides to use its emergency powers. However, new regulations and amendments will only be effective under the status of emergency.

On Tuesday, Carrie Lam did not deny a possible use of Hong Kong's Emergency Regulations Ordinance – a law gives the chief executive the authority to "make regulations which the chief executive may consider desirable in the public interest during an emergency or public danger."

"On the strength of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, the government of Hong Kong can exercise immediate and strong control on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. For example, the government can control and suppress any kind of propagations in Hong Kong, and can arrest and detain any wrongdoers involved in violence in the protest. And the government can forfeit and control any kind of properties that are suspected to be used to facilitate the violent acts," said the barrister-at-law.

Yet, Ting believes while the Emergency Regulations Ordinance could be considered by the SAR government, the government would not be acting on it soon. Nevertheless, anti-mask laws can still be beneficial as "those violent protesters are abusing Hong Kong's legal system."

Rising concerns over violent acts from masked protesters since June let a civic group rallied outside the SAR government headquarters this week – asking for anti-mask legislation once the Legislative Council (LegCo) resumes in September. 

The enactment of anti-mask law is not unprecedented and countries like Australia, Canada and the United States have their anti-mask legislations. The enactment of such law could be challenged though at LegCo, especially during this time of irregularities bursting out in Hong Kong society.

According to the Hong Kong police, nearly 900 violent protesters have been arrested over the past two months. Ting told CGTN that on the ground of Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance, it is lawful for police to monitor protests and take measures to tame violence.

Hong Kong police have banned a planned rally organized by Civil Human Rights Front on Saturday taking reference from previous demonstrations that turned violent. Large gatherings by Civil Human Rights Front will be unlawful on Saturday and violators could be sentenced to jail – not for days or months but years.

While the unrest has been putting a toll on Hong Kong's economy, violent acts from protectors' confrontations with police are also causing emotional traumas. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups released a report on Wednesday showing half of the city's young people who sought for emotional counseling suffered from different levels of depression caused by continuous protests. 

The report said that 10 percent of those young counseled suffered from high-risk emotional disturbances and some 40 percent experienced medium-degree problems. Those emotional disturbances were said to be caused by images of violent clashes and injuries from protesters' confrontations with Hong Kong police on TV and online. 

Some netizens commented that not just the youngsters are depressed by those protests and riots, and the silent majority has been upset and depressed to see violent acts on streets.

(CGTN's An Kun filmed the interview.)