HONG KONG, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday expressed "strong indignation over and firm opposition against" some Western media's false and misleading reports about Hong Kong, which have accused the police enforcing the law and stopping violence of "excessive use of force."
"Such reports glossed over and whitewashed the rioters' heinous crime of dousing an innocent citizen with flammable liquid and setting him ablaze alive, and attempting to snatch guns from the police and putting life risks to the latter," said the spokesperson for the office in a statement.
The spokesperson pointed out that the selective reports and comments by some Western media on Hong Kong have distorted the picture grossly.
"Some have taken things out of context, highlighting police shooting on front pages, but saying nothing about the circumstances where rioters cornered and repeatedly assaulted the police officer, tried to snatch his gun and threatened the lives of the police and all other citizens on the scene."
"Some have shifted the focus, zooming in solely on the police enforcing the law, but mincing the words when it comes to the vandalism committed by the black-clad rioters and such brutality as torching an innocent citizen alive in broad daylight, and even doctoring the video to create an impression of armed police forcefully confronting 'peaceful protesters'," the statement said.
Some western media have confounded right with wrong, blaming the Central and the SAR governments for the situation, citing groundless "surveys", instead of denouncing the rioters for escalating violent crime and trashing law and order, it added.
"People cannot help but ask: Is that the professional ethics these Western media are proud of? Do they still have any basic sense of morals or justice?" the spokesperson asked.
Relevant Western media were urged to immediately stop distorting the truth or pouring fuel on the fire in Hong Kong. "Otherwise, they would only be condemned by all fair-minded people, including 1.4 billion Chinese," the spokesperson warned.
