Extreme Violence and Subversion Returns to Hong Kong, as China Issues Warning
Sept. 1, 2019 (EIRNS)—The demonstrations in Hong Kong Aug. 31—one of the first major rallies which had been denied a permit—were extremely violent, with fires set in multiple locations, molotov cocktails and bricks thrown directly at police, surveillance cameras destroyed, and a subway station shut down and partially destroyed. Xinhua reports that the anarchists also stormed government and legislative offices and set fire to police headquarters.
Violence continued today, including an effort to re-occupy the airport, which forced the shutdown of trains to the airport.
The official Chinese state news agency Xinhua published an editorial today titled: “Violence in Hong Kong Must End Now.” It identifies the mass destruction, the blocking of the majority of Hong Kong citizens from schools and businesses, and the public targetting of policemen and their children for harassment.
“Behind the violence and chaos in Hong Kong is an elaborate scheme of the rioters and their patrons whose real intent is clearly exposed now,” the editorial states. “They tried to stir up unrest in Hong Kong and compromise the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, before spreading the ‘color revolution’ into the Chinese mainland.”
Government media, including CGTN television, have documented who the rioters’ ”patrons” are, focused on the National Endowment for Democracy and public meetings of Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with so-called “democracy leaders” and those demanding Hong Kong independence from China: See “Who Controls Hong Kong Protests?” on CGTN’s YouTube channel.
Xinhua poses:
“There are three bottom lines which must not be crossed: no one should harm the national sovereignty and security; no one should challenge the power of the central authorities and the authority of the Basic Law of the HKSAR; no one should use Hong Kong to infiltrate and undermine the mainland. Anyone who dares to infringe upon these bottom lines and interfere in or damage the ‘one country, two systems’ principle will face nothing but failure and will be held accountable by the country’s Constitution and the HKSAR’s Basic Law.
“The Hong Kong police recently detained nearly 900 people suspected of taking part in violent crimes, including Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Andy Chan Ho-tin, leaders of political groups advocating ‘Hong Kong’s independence.’ Faced with the central government’s resolute support for the HKSAR government and the Hong Kong police, faced with the HKSAR government’s firm and just law enforcement, faced with strong [condemnation] from Chinese people, the end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonize China. They should never misjudge the determination and ability of the central government, the HKSAR government and Chinese people to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security and core interests.”
On Aug. 30, the armed police carried out a second exercise in riot control in neighboring Shenzhen, and again issued a one-minute video, sending a message that the central government will act if the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is not able to stop the subversion (“Armed Police Hold Anti-Riot Drills in Shenzhen, China,” posted on Xinhua’s YouTube channel).
