HONG KONG, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Sunday voiced firm support for the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong police in resolutely enforcing the law and safeguarding Hong Kong's social stability and rule of law.
A small number of rioters instigated unlawful assemblies and threatened to "rekindle the war" and "fight back", with some confronting the police in Kowloon on Sunday afternoon. Those acts are suspected of violating the national security law in Hong Kong and local laws, a spokesperson of the office said.
As of 9:00 p.m. local time, at least 289 people had been arrested for offenses including participating in an unlawful assembly and assaulting police officers, the Hong Kong police said in a statement.
The 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) election in the HKSAR, originally scheduled for Sept. 6, was put off for a year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on Aug. 11, the 6th term LegCo of the HKSAR will continue to discharge its duties for no less than one year until the commencement of the 7th term LegCo.
The related arrangements are reasonable and conform to public opinion, said the spokesperson.
"The street confrontations on the original election date blatantly violated the gathering restrictions in the face of the epidemic, and provoked relevant laws and the state will. It is a cold-blooded disregard for the lives, health and safety of the general public. We strongly condemn this," the spokesperson said.
With the strong support from the central government and the mainland compatriots, as well as the concerted efforts of the HKSAR government and Hong Kong residents, the third wave of the epidemic has been gradually brought under control. But the situation remained serious as infection sources of nearly half of the confirmed cases remained unknown. The general public has a strong desire to put the the epidemic under control and get out of the economic and livelihood difficulties as soon as possible, said the spokesperson.
However, at such a critical moment, those who instigated and organized street disturbances not only spread all kinds of rumors, but also constantly attacked and smeared the mainland's aid and support for Hong Kong's anti-epidemic fight, politicizing it without limit while ignoring the safety of residents and the public interest. They have no bottom line and are unethical, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson stressed that the national security law in Hong Kong has been promulgated and implemented, the relevant national security agencies of the central and HKSAR governments have been established to perform their duties. As a result, the Hong Kong society has undergone a positive change from chaos to governance.
"We warn the few people that in maintaining Hong Kong's national security and social stability, there is only a rigid principle and no room for flexibility. We have zero tolerance for any violation of the national security law in Hong Kong," said the spokesperson, citing that the Hong Kong police have solemnly declared that they will resolutely enforce the law and will not relent on any illegal act.
"We believe that people from all walks of life will have a better understanding of the true character of the rioters, and jointly safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. We will not allow chaos in Hong Kong again."
