CRI听力:Beijing Official to HK, Local Officials Condemn Mong Kok Riot

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the central government in Hong Kong, says he was shocked and saddened to learn about the Mong Kok riot.

"We strongly condemn those rioters who maliciously committed beatings, smashed property, committed arson and other violent crimes. We strongly condemn those radical separatists whose behaviors got more and more violent and even showed terror tendencies."

The incident started late on February 8, after a handful of illegal street vendors refused to halt business in Mong Kok, a busy commercial district, and clashed with law enforcement officials.

Hundreds of rioters then arrived, attacking police officers and journalists, smashing police vehicles and committing arson.

The police were forced to fire two warning shots in a bid to rescue personnel.

Zhang Xiaoming says he believes the Hong Kong government can and will handle the criminal cases appropriately.

In the meantime, he also dismissed remarks that attempt to whitewash the bloody violence.

He says people in Hong Kong have a consensus on the building of a peaceful society.

"It is the largest consensus in Hong Kong that Hong Kong should never be "in chaos'. They won't tolerate any radical minority separatists to ruin the most precious legal environment."

The remark was echoed by Hong Kong's chief executive CY Leung who said on Sunday that the rioters represent only a small segment of society.

"Of the people who have been arrested by police so far, the jobless constituted the majority, instead of middle school or university students. And a large number of them belong to radical political groups. Therefore, their political demands and violent means were not representative of the society, nor did they represent the majority."

Leung also voiced support for the upgrading of police equipment and the reinforcement of manpower in response to the increasing violence lately.

"The government is calling on the public, especially the political parties, not to make excuses for or attempt to rationalize the violence and the motivations behind it, let alone whitewashing the rioters."

Nearly 100 people were injured during the confrontation.

As of Saturday, police have arrested more than 60 suspects and 41 of them have been charged with rioting.

For CRI, I'm Huang Yue.