Principal Official of the Commissioner's Office Questions Whether British and American Politicians Allow Only Rioters' Lethal Attacks of the Police, but not the Police's Law Enforcement and Self-Defence Efforts

Some British and American politicians have openly condoned the black-clad rioters, confounding right and wrong and in total disregard of the fact. In reply, a principal official of the Commissioner's Office expressed strong disapproval and firm opposition.

The fact is, the principal official pointed out, that on 1 October, the dearly cherished 70th anniversary of the PRC, black-clad rioters in Hong Kong committed appalling violence in areas including Hong Kong island, Kowloon and New Territories. They set fire, smashed shops, vandalized public property, hurled petrol bombs, and assaulted the police and citizens, causing serious injuries to a number of police officers. The police officer who fired the shot was beaten up by a group of rioters and in a life-threatening situation. It was for saving the lives of his colleagues and himself that he was forced to shoot an assaulter.

The principal official said that should the rioters be allowed to run amok, Hong Kong citizens would be left with no security, the rule of law be demolished, and interests of countries here gravely damaged. It is the black-clad rioters and the ringleaders behind them who are the greatest threat to Hong Kong and the common enemy of the international community.

Some politicians in the UK and the US, however, have distorted the truth and confounded the police's law enforcement efforts with the extremists' illegal violence, rather than condemning and opposing the crime of the black-clad rioters. What else can it be but an open condoning of violent crime?

The principal official said that when tackling similar demonstrations in their own countries, the British and American governments will give a green light to the police, and never hesitate to employ all kinds of weapons including guns. As reported by foreign media, the shooting by American police in enforcing the law caused a casualty of nearly 1,000 in 2017 alone, and the case is similar in the UK and other countries. So why do the politicians of these countries turn a blind eye to the rioters' violence and fire accusations instead against the police's law enforcement efforts when it comes to Hong Kong? Do they allow only assaults and even lethal attacks by the rioters of the police, but not law enforcement and self-defence efforts of the police when they and their colleagues are under life threat? We are highly indignant over and firmly opposed to such outright double standards and gross interference.

The principal official emphasized that no time should be lost to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order to Hong Kong. A growing number of Hong Kong citizens are condemning the violence by the black-clad rioters, and those behind the scenes who are manipulating the youth as their pawns to take risks for their agenda. Should the chaos continue, it would undermine not only the fundamental interests of the Hong Kong citizens but also the interests of the international community as stakeholders in the city. It is our hope that all international stakeholders who love Hong Kong will speak up against violence by the black-clad rioters and the evil intention of those behind them, and support the SAR Government in stopping violence, ending the chaos and restoring order.