Vandalism by forces with nefarious intentions

Editor's Note: The premises of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London, were vandalized on Tuesday. The door to the office, in a Georgian town house in the city's upmarket Bedford Square, and the Hong Kong bauhinia emblem were splattered with red paint and offensive words were spray-painted on the wall. The premises were vandalized as United Kingdom and Chinese officials were preparing for talks to mend ties. The following are excerpts of a statement that the spokesperson to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government issued on Wednesday:

Offenders, under the cover of darkness, sprayed indecent and offensive language on the entrance of the London ETO, and defiled the regional emblem of the Hong Kong SAR. We strongly condemn these illegal acts.

The London ETO has notified the local police accordingly and stressed that vandals must face legal consequences as soon as possible.

Such vandalism is an outright challenge to the Hong Kong government, and reflected the nefarious intentions of destabilizing foreign forces to cause chaos and disruption in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government will pursue the legal liability of the individuals involved.

The UK police should handle the matter seriously, and apprehend the culprits with proactive and appropriate actions in accordance with its obligation to safeguard the property of the London ETO and the personal safety of its staff, thereby ensuring that the London ETO can operate without illegal or undue interference.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Algernon Yau Ying-wah has contacted the British Consul-General in Hong Kong, Brian Davidson, to express his deep concern over the incident, and requested the UK police to take action to protect the legal rights and interests of the London ETO. The Consul-General undertook to reflect the matter with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom and London Police, and follow-up as appropriate.