Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HK to Chris Patten: UK is pioneer of anti-mask law

HONG KONG - Former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten's recent remarks on the anti-mask regulation of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) have totally ignored the call in Hong Kong for stopping violence and the fact that the UK is a pioneer in banning masks, Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong SAR said Monday.

Patten's remarks on Hong Kong SAR's enactment of the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation "have totally ignored the call of the majority of Hong Kong citizens for stopping violence and the chaos, and the fact that the UK is a pioneer in banning masks," said a spokesperson of the commissioner's office.

"We strongly condemn the remarks, which are full of hypocrisy, bigotry and ruthlessness and have fully exposed Chris Patten's true color," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that the SAR government's enactment of the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation is completely legal, reasonable, just and necessary.

Over the past four months, masked rioters in Hong Kong have gone on rampage, committed vandalism and arson, and assaulted the police and innocent citizens, posing a grave threat to public security and the rule of law. The Hong Kong public, who have suffered unspeakably, have called for immediately stopping violence, ending the chaos and restoring order, and have shown firm support for the SAR Government in passing the regulation, the spokesperson pointed out.

"By distorting the truth and fabricating excuses in total disregard of the mainstream public opinion and the serious threat to civilian safety, Chris Patten attempts to justify the rioters and impede the SAR government's efforts to stop violence. Such intention is simply despicable," said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson pointed out that the enactment of the regulation is in line with international common practices. Similar laws and regulations have long been present in Western countries including France, Germany, Canada, Spain and Austria and in many states of the United States.

As early as in 1723, Britain passed the Black Act criminalizing having one's faces blackened or being otherwise disguised, which was not repealed until 1823. Later, Britain again banned the covering of the face in response to the protests and riots in 2011, the spokesperson said.

"Is that also 'absolutely madness' according to Chris Patten's criteria, we wonder? Such outright double standards and shameless hypocrisy have been seen through by the entire world and will only meet with contempt."

The spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are completely China's internal affairs. "We firmly support the SAR government in taking all necessary measures in accordance with law to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order."

"We again urge Chris Patten and his ilk to remove their black hand from Hong Kong affairs, give up their evil attempts to devastate the city, and stop such 'doomsday madness'."