As part of that effort, Hong Kong authorities are increasingly trying to change the narrative, portraying the clampdown as a necessary law-and-order remedy for a city they say is increasingly ungovernable. Frustrated by the inability of local officials to stop the unrest, Chinese officials in June imposed a broad national security law that empowers Hong Kong authorities to take a stronger hand in quelling dissent and punishing those who espouse ideas loathed by Beijing, such as Hong Kong independence from the mainland. The police on Wednesday sought to counter accusations by protesters that they had been too slow to respond to the Yuen Long attack. Thirteen of the 16 people detained on Wednesday are also accused of taking part in the Yuen Long attack, police said. “The crime of rioting,” an officer said in a video shared by a Democratic Party staff member.

Source: bd News24 August 27, 2020 05:03 UTC