Protests have been going on in Hong Kong for several weeks, and the level of violence is increasing day by day. Clearly they are not rational and peace-loving expressions of discontent and different views, but rather well-organized attempts to stir social turbulence in Hong Kong.
At the very beginning, the protests were generally peaceful public processions against the extradition law amendment. Since the amendment has been suspended and will not be resubmitted, something else is surely afoot and needs to be exposed. The opposition camp and masked protesters who hide their identities from police have repeatedly used objections to the extradition bill as a pretext for instigating violence in Hong Kong. Their violent actions are obviously intentional and instigated by some external forces.
On July 1, unlawful protesters stormed into the Legislative Council Complex, waving the British colonial flag to promote their separatist ideas. On July 14, rioters hurled bricks, bottles and umbrellas inside the New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, deliberately attacking police officers. Thirteen officers were injured and one even had his finger bitten off by a cruel demonstrator.
On July 20, Hong Kong police discovered a bomb plot. It was said to be the largest ever uncovered in the city, containing 2 kilograms of triacetone triperoxide, also known as TATP, which is an extremely powerful but highly unstable explosive. On July 21, masked rioters even besieged and vandalized the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – one of the most important Central Government institutions in the HKSAR. They erected metal barricades in front of the liaison office building, desecrated the national emblem mounted at the building entrance with black liquid and painted vulgar language on the office’s outer wall.
Also on July 21, masked men in white shirts randomly attacked passengers at the Yuen Long MTR Station, injuring at least 45 people on the train.
On Friday, hundreds of protesters held a rally in the airport’s arrival hall. Some of them even repeatedly pushed an elderly passenger, arousing fury among netizens who watched the video clip. During an illegal rally in Yuen Long on Saturday, violent protesters attacked police and charged at the police cordon lines.
People’s right to hold peaceful public assemblies is always fully respected in Hong Kong. However, by committing such unacceptable and even barbaric actions, those protesters are going too far. For instance, taking siege of the liaison office is not only a blatant challenge to national sovereignty and China’s Constitution, but also a serious trampling on Kong Kong’s Basic Law and the bottom line of the “one country two systems” principle.
Dubbed the “Pearl of the Orient,” Hong Kong was once a safe and peaceful place for all its citizens. Escalating violence has seriously tarnished its image and will lead to nowhere. All sectors in the city and even the whole country should join hands in combating violence, along with making joint efforts to develop the city’s economy and maintain social stability.
All Chinese people, including Hong Kong residents, will not tolerate any action that undermines Hong Kong and the principle of “one country, two systems.” Hong Kong is home to more than 7 million people, and the prosperity of their shared home is based on the arduous efforts of past generations. The city is also proud of its well-established and independent judicial system.
The Basic Law grants residents freedom of assembly and demonstration, but that does not mean that violence and vandalism will be tolerated. Wearing helmets and masks, some radical demonstrators used weapons such as shields, wrenches and metal bars to attack police, bystanders and passengers; some even set fires. According to the city’s relevant laws, any person who desecrates the national flag or national emblem, which are important symbols of a nation, is liable to imprisonment for up to three years. Meanwhile, unlawful perpetrators who cause injury to police and other residents should also be brought to justice as quickly as possible.
The Central Government will also not let violent protesters hijack public opinion. The U.S. State Department on July 22 expressed concern over recent protests in Hong Kong and urged the SAR government to respect people’s freedom of speech and assembly. China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded by saying that violent incidents in Hong Kong had nothing to do with freedom of speech or assembly, but were unlawful acts that challenge the bottom line of the “one country, two systems” principle.
She also reiterated that Hong Kong is part of China, and the country firmly opposes any foreign intervention in the SAR’s affairs. It is obvious that a small faction of radical protesters has been provoking the public in a well-organized manner to challenge the rule of law by attacking public institutions in Hong Kong. It is also crystal clear that the whole structure of planned marches, including handing out expensive masks and helmets free of charge, running advertisements on foreign media, and giving one-sided and even partial information on social media, cannot be simply explained as a spontaneous and reasonable way of expressing discontent.
(The author is the editor-in-chief of the Shenzhen Daily with a Ph.D. from the Journalism and Communication School of Wuhan University.)