Chan hits back over protests in Canada

Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki has hit out at protesters at the World Police and Fire Games held in Canada, accusing "destabilizing forces" of slandering Hong Kong disciplinary services by staging protests and distributing "anti-police" leaflets.

"They continued to try and hamper Hong Kong's prosperity and stability under the control of foreign forces," he said.

"Anyone attempting to stir up trouble in Hong Kong will end in a failure," he said.

Chan was speaking at an airport reception yesterday for disciplinary-services athletes returning from the sports event held in Winnipeg between July 28 and Sunday.

Chan said that people with ulterior motives had smeared the reputation of the police force, shouting slogans on the streets, at the airport and the competition venue in Canada as well as taking photos of athletes.

"Some even organized a protest to oppose Hong Kong police officers entering Canada, politicizing and stigmatizing an international sports event," he added.

In a related development, the central government liaison office in Hong Kong issued a statement condemning the protesters as "anti-China troublemakers" who have absconded overseas, calling their attacks on the police malicious and groundless.

A spokesman for the office said sports were about peace and friendship, not politics and ideologies.

"But some destabilizing forces overseas, some Western politicians and anti-China organizations maliciously provoked the Hong Kong disciplinary force delegation during the games," the spokesman said.

"They attempted to ruin the image of the Hong Kong police force and smear the Hong Kong national security law, showing a disgusting attitude and a vulgar intention."

The spokesman added that the office unswervingly supported the SAR government in bringing to justice those troublemakers from overseas.

Around 12,000 law enforcement officers from over 50 countries and regions participated in the World Police and Fire Games this year.

In the biennial event, Hong Kong won a total of 238 medals, including 89 golds, 80 silvers and 69 bronzes in sports such as athletics, swimming and shooting, marking Hong Kong's best results in the Games' history.

Their return came as the parents of Anna Kwok Fung-yee, an activist wanted under the national security law, were led away for questioning yesterday.

Sources said Kwok's parents were taken to Tseung Kwan O police station to assist investigation and their home was also searched. No arrest has been made.

Kwok is one of the eight activists accused of endangering national security who have a HK$1 million bounty offered by the city's national security police.