Fire rages behind a man fleeing a violence-torn street in Hong Kong's Wan Chai on Saturday night. (CHINA DAILY)
Officials condemn violence
The Hong Kong SAR government and the city's police force condemned the unprecedented violence. Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said on Sunday the top priority was to stop the violence and restore peace.
In his official blog, Cheung called on all to firmly reject violence.
The SAR government fully supports the police in strictly enforcing the law and bringing criminals to justice, Cheung said, adding that the violence seriously undermined the law and disrupted public order in reckless disregard of public safety.
The government is setting up a platform for dialogue with the public to resolve the deadlock and get Hong Kong back on track, Cheung said. He called on all parts of the community to work with the government to address the deep-rooted issues.
Former chief executive of Hong Kong Leung Chun-ying agreed with the incumbent government and said it is time to employ all necessary forces to end the violence that has rocked the city for over 85 days.
Leung, now a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said this is because the escalating violence has proved the radicals are seeking "regime change".
Their intention was to overthrow the SAR government, turn the "high-degree of autonomy" Hong Kong is governed by to "total autonomy", making the city a puppet against the central government, Leung posted on his personal social media account.
Aside from armed force, the SAR government has access to political, administrative, financial and legal means of handling the current situation, some of which have not yet been used, he said.
Hong Kong lawmakers also slammed the rioters' "insane acts". The 39 legislators from the pro-establishment camp signed a cross-party joint statement calling for united action by society on the whole to protect the city from the chaos.
Remembering the night of horror on Saturday, a group of Australian tourists described the riot to China Daily reporters as "scary" and "a shame". They said their families worried about their safety. The four tourists came to the city to experience its "busy and lively" atmosphere, but were instead confined to their hotel rooms to wait out the "scary" time.
Their story gave a glimpse of the blow Hong Kong's image as a tourism haven has taken from the protracted turmoil since June 9.
"I felt heartbroken seeing radical protesters vandalizing the city that I love and where I was born and raised. They were actually destroying the city's future and their own, too," local resident Victor Chan said on Sunday morning.
