http://www.bjreview.com AUGUST 15, 2019 BEIJING REVIEW 27
Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo
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They defaced the Chinese national em-
blem and flung the national flag into the
sea. All these actions challenged China’s
sovereignty and undermined the “one coun-
try, two systems” principle as well as Hong
Kong’s stability and prosperity, Lam said.
“Hong Kong’s future and the lives of its
more than 7 million people shouldn’t be put
at stake,” Lam said, calling for the peaceful
expression of demands from Hong Kong
residents.
At a press conference on August 6, Yang
Guang, spokesperson for the Hong Kong
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said that the violent protests in Hong Kong
severely impacted the region’s prosperity
and stability and were pushing it toward a
“dangerous abyss.”
“Over the past two months, they have gone
beyond freedom of assembly, demonstration
or protest and have escalated into extremely
violent acts. With upgraded means, escalating
intensity and aggravating destructiveness, these
acts are shocking,” Yang said.
As of August 6, 461 people had been in-
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He also told the press conference that the
protests seriously affected Hong Kong’s econ-
omy and people’s livelihood, citing that the
region’s GDP in the second quarter increased
by only 0.6 percent in real terms year on year,
and the fact that 18 countries and regions had
issued travel safety reminders against Hong
Kong.
A small number of violent radicals were
at the front, with some kind-hearted citizens
misguided and coerced in the middle, but
the masterminds behind the scenes were the
anti-China forces inside and outside of Hong
Kong, which have been trying to bring chaos
to Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.
“They have called black white and spared
no efforts in playing up fallacies and absurdi-
ties such as so-called ‘civil disobedience’ and
even the fallacious view that ‘only violence
can solve problems’,” he said.
Yang said they had whitewashed and in-
stigated violence, attempting to drag all Hong
Kong residents into political wrangling and
intensifying social contradictions.Call for order
Yu Hoi-kwan, Acting Chief Superintendent of
the Police Public Relations Branch, said at a
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arrested between June 9 and August 5, were
charged with taking part in riot, unlawful assem-
bly, assaulting police and other offensives.
Calls for peace and order were mounting
among ordinary Hong Kong residents. A fruit
stand owner surnamed Suen complained
that few people bought fruit on August 5.
“I hope the situation is temporary and will
subside as soon as possible,” Suen said. “The
government should not give in. The radicals
want a yard after taking an inch.”
“Local people hung out less as transport
became less convenient, and tourists dare
not come to Hong Kong since they are afraid
of the social chaos,” said a pharmacy store
owner on Hennessy Road surnamed Ho, who
wished the radicals would go home and leave
ordinary residents alone. “Otherwise, we are
paying the price for what they did,” she said.
Gary Lee and his wife kept their tiny
restaurant open throughout August 5. “Of
course we are worried, but we need to dobusiness. We have rent to pay,” said Lee’s
wife. “We want our old, normal days back.”
At the press conference on August 6,
spokesperson Yang Guang called on people
in Hong Kong to stand firm and guard their
beautiful homeland.
No Hong Kong departments or organs
should ever be soft on violent violations of the
law, Yang stressed.
Reiterating the Central Government’s un-
swerving support for Chief Executive Lam, the
spokesperson said the opposition’s attempt to
force her to resign is doomed to fail.
“We hope that the people of Hong
Kong understand the nature of the current
situation, and firmly support HKSAR Chief
Executive Lam in leading the HKSAR govern-
ment’s law-based governance, the Hong
Kong police in enforcing laws rigorously, and
HKSAR government departments and the
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in accordance with the law,” Yang said.
He then made it clear to “the very small
group of unscrupulous and violent criminals
and the dirty forces behind them” that those
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whoever participates in violent and criminal
activities would be held accountable accord-
ing to the law.
“All in all, the fate of Hong Kong will be
decided by all Chinese people including Hong
Kong compatriots,” Yang added.
Hong Kong is facing the most severe situ-
ation since its return to the motherland, said
Zhang Xiaoming, Director of the Hong Kong
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the Liaison Office of the Central People’s
Government in the HKSAR on August 7.
“The most pressing and overriding task at
present is to stop the violence, end the chaos
and restore order, so as to safeguard our home-
land and prevent Hong Kong from sinking into
an abyss,” Zhang said.
More than 550 people attended the
meeting, including HKSAR deputies to the
National People’s Congress, HKSAR national
and provincial political advisors, leaders of
patriotic political and social organizations in
Hong Kong, as well as those from relevant
youth, educational and professional organiza-
tions and mainland enterprises operating in
Hong Kong. Q
(Based on reports of Xinhua News Agency) /HIW $QDWLRQDOßDJUDLVLQJFHUHPRQ\LVKHOG
in a middle school in Hong Kong on August 5
People take part in a rally to denounce violence
and support the police force at Victoria Park in
Hong Kong on August 3XIN
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