A senior government official of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday expressed hope to seek a proper and peaceful solution to the standoff at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).
"We will continue our efforts to mediate at the PolyU," Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government Matthew Cheung told a joint briefing which was also attended by three other secretaries.
He appealed to all people inside the campus to leave in peace as soon as possible so that the current situation can be handled in a peaceful and inclusive way.
From Sunday afternoon, rioters gathering around PolyU have taken the campus as a stronghold to launch assaults on police officers using lethal weapons including petrol bombs, bows and arrows, metal balls and bricks.
The Hong Kong police said on Tuesday that around 1,100 people in and around the PolyU have been arrested for offenses including taking part in riot and possession of offensive weapons.
Also on Tuesday, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam called on rioters who were still staying in the PolyU to stop using violence and said she hoped the event could be resolved peacefully.
In addition, Cheung told the press briefing that the HKSAR government is making efforts to clear blocks and trash on the road, in particular to clear and repair the Cross-Harbor Tunnel, a major artery linking Hong Kong Island and Kowloon as soon as possible, so that public transport can resume normal operation at an early date.
