Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam at the press conference on Tuesday Photo:CGTN

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam chastised the US Congress for introducing a bill in support of the city's radical protesters, saying that it is "extremely inappropriate," warning the US against interfering in the city's internal affairs.  

Lam made the remarks at a press conference on Tuesday. She also expressed "deep regret" over the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act," which the US Congress intends to approve, saying, "Any form of interference from foreign congresses is extremely inappropriate." 

International community members should respect each other, and let the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region handle its own affairs, Lam said, noting that she won't allow foreign forces to meddle in the city's issues, and asked local figures not to urge the US Congress to pass the bill.

Although Lam did not name anyone, it is well known that violent protesters in the city, including Hong Kong secessionist leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung, have been urging the US Congress to pass the bill. 

Victor Chan, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Young Commentators, said it is a shame that some Hong Kong people are appealing to foreign countries, which jeopardizes the interests of Hong Kong.

"The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is sheer interference in Hong Kong affairs and shows US disrespect of China's sovereignty," Chan told the Global Times.

Some radical Hong Kong protesters failed to see that the US wants to cripple Hong Kong and contain China, and that siding with the US hurts the city's interests, Tang Fei, the principal of TKO HeungTo Secondary School in Hong Kong and former chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Geng Shuang, spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also urged the US to "immediately stop pushing Hong Kong-related legislation" at a press conference on Friday. 

Joshua Wong arrived in Germany on Monday, and will be allowed in the US. He was received by German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass, German local media reported. 

"The Chinese side expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the German side for allowing Hong Kong secessionists to enter Germany and conduct anti-China and secession activities, as well as Maas' undisguised contact with a figure like Wong," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a routine press conference on Tuesday.

Echoing the US, some politicians in Canada and European Union also made a big fuss over Hong Kong's affairs, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Some Hong Kongers also spoke out. Annie Wu Suk-ching, daughter of Hong Kong catering group Maxim's founder James Tak Wu, along with Ho Chiu-king, chairwoman of the Federation for Women in Hong Kong, also daughter of Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, spoke before the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

Ho said it is the average residents and the small business who bear the brunt of the chaos and tensions in Hong Kong, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"I want to ask this question: When you use the freedom to express your thoughts, are you aware of the rights of other people to live a tranquil life?" she said.

"After all, Hong Kong's affairs are the internal affairs of our country, and people from all walks of life should make concerted efforts to find a solution for Hong Kong not to be reduced to a political tool," Ho noted.

Death rumors  

During the Tuesday press briefing, Lam also said she was deeply saddened by the violence at Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations of Central and Prince Edward, calling for an end to vandalism.

A fire set by rioters burns at an entrance to the Central MTR subway station in Hong Kong on Sunday. Radical protesters descended on the city's Central district, blocking roads and forcing the closure of an underground metro station, while other protesters rallied outside the US consulate in Hong Kong. The MTR Corporation in its Sunday statement strongly condemns the malicious vandalism and reiterates that it does not tolerate any act of violence. Photo: AFP

Rumors were widely circulated that at least six people were beaten to death at Prince Edward MTR station on August 31, and that the bodies of the deceased were destroyed.

Hong Kong radical forces used the rumors as an excuse to incite public anger toward authorities, storm police stations and vandalize MTR stations. Each exit of the Prince Edward station was sprayed with sentences such as, "We want to see the dead bodies," and, "Give me the truth of August 31." 

Senior Superintendent of the Hong Kong Police Force Yu Hoi-kwan said on a Tuesday conference that police had arrested 53 suspects after receiving reports that protesters were vandalizing facilities at the Prince Edward station. Among the arrested, seven were sent to hospitals. She stressed that no reports about missing people or deaths were received. 

Andy Kung, senior manager of the Hospital Authority, said that a total of 46 injured people who were sent to 10 hospitals on August 31 were all discharged, and no deaths were reported. 

At the press conference, the Hong Kong MTR Corporation Limited released images from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of August 31 at Prince Edward and other MTR stations, and said that the footage will be kept for three years. 

The images showed that police arrived at the Prince Edward station at around 11 pm, and that the station announced an emergency evacuation. Fire-service department officers and paramedics arrived 20 minutes later. 

In response to questions about why the MTR did not release the full CCTV footage, Chief of Operating of MTR Corporation Limited Sammy Wong Kwan-wai said that they understand public want to know more information about the incident, but there are also concerns about privacy issues as private data contained in the footage would affect the public. 

Chen Qingqing and Wang Wenwen countributed to this story