BEIJING, CHINA – The Chinese government appealed to Hong Kong citizens to defend their homes and businesses as the ongoing massive protest orchestrated by Hong Kong’s pr-democracy protesters have caused great damage to its economy.
In a press conference in Beijing, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) called out on to the city’s angry youth and asked for peace.
“We would like to make it clear to the very small group of unscrupulous and violent criminals and the dirty forces behind them: those who play with fire will perish by it. And at the end of the day, they will eventually be punished,” HKMAO spokesman Yang Guang said.
Guang warned that the central government would not tolerate any act of violence and attempt to separate China from Hong Kong as the latter’s future was in the hands of 1.4 billion Chinese.
He also clarified that People Liberation Army (PLA) would not participate if Hong Kong’s protest crisis escalated and “the central government will absolutely not allow a disturbance that the Hong Kong government cannot control to appear in Hong Kong and threaten national unity or security.”
