Communities in HK condemn violence

AFTER a night of violence and sabotage in different parts of Hong Kong, people and groups from different sectors in the community voiced their stern condemnation yesterday and called on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to curb violence in accordance with the law and bring the “black hands” behind the riots to justice.

Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, the chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government, said in a blog yesterday that the radical demonstrators became increasingly violent, openly defied the law and order and seriously disrupted public order in disregard of public safety.

“People from all walks of life should draw a line with violence and condemn the violent demonstrators’ acts in the strongest terms,” Cheung said, stressing that the HKSAR government fully supports the police in enforcing the law.

A joint statement signed by 39 members of the HKSAR Legislative Council sternly condemned the rioters’ “lawless crazy acts,” which “seriously endangered the personal safety of police officers and residents and undermined the peace of Hong Kong.”

The LegCo members reiterated their full support to the police in upholding law and discipline in accordance with the law, and urged the police to take all effective measures to curb violence and disorder as soon as possible.

“In view of the continuous escalation of some violent radicals’ unlawful acts of sabotage, which are by no means ‘peaceful, rational or non-violent’, we appeal to the public to jointly say ‘no’ to violence,” said the statement.

Political group the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong said that the rioters attempted to intimidate the HKSAR government and the public with unlawful and violent acts, which seriously threatened the safety of policemen and innocent people and disrupted businesses in many districts.

Newspaper Ta Kung Pao said in an editorial that Saturday’s riots saw unprecedented escalation of violence and were a desperate attempt by the forces intending to destabilize Hong Kong.

Another newspaper Sing Tao Daily criticized opposition figures, behind-the-scenes agitators and international media for inciting the violent radicals.

(Xinhua)