Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong, strongly condemned the Chinese New Year riot that took place in Mong Kok last week, according to a report by China Daily.
According to Zhang, the riot, which started Feb. 8 evening, was incited by "extreme separatist forces" with a tendency to perform increasingly violent attacks.
The riot disrupted the peace in Hong Kong, with majority of the locals and tourists shocked at the events. The chaos that ensued, said Zhang, contradicts with the city's idea of harmony and stability.
The director added that he believed the police and the Special Administrative Region government would respond to the attack within their authority to uphold the rule of law.
Zhang also expressed disappointment at the opposition camp's statements regarding the justified use of arson, violence, and destruction of private and public property during the riot.
Over the past few days, 65 people were arrested, 40 of which were charged with rioting, among others. They may face up to 10 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was hard at work to contradict media assertions and opposition claims that the riot was the effect of the government's policy on street hawkers.
According to Leung, workers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department were only patrolling the area. Even then, protesters surrounded the workers, forcing the latter to request for police assistance.
The situation worsened as protesters started to hurl bricks at the police. Some participants lit up rubbish bins in Mong Kok, where over 100 people were injured.
Allegations that the patrol was a crackdown on small-scale merchants were deemed unfair by Leung, stating that the local government has been hard at work to alleviate poverty in the city in the past four years.
Despite the riot, Leung said that the government will continue to work on poverty alleviation, focusing on housing, employment, and development of livelihoods to help the less fortunate members of society.