Beijing 'strongly Condemns' Flag Incident

Beijing on Sunday strongly condemned what it called “extremely frantic radicalists” for apparently throwing a national flag into Victoria Harbour after ripping it from a flag post outside a Tsim Sha Tsui mall.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office described the act as a provocation against the dignity of the country and the Chinese race, adding that it had 'trampled' on the bottom line of the One Country, Two Systems principle.

The Office said the act strongly harms the feelings of all Chinese people, including those in Hong Kong.

Beijing's Liaison Office here also issued a statement, calling the flag incident another provocation of the country's dignity after protesters defaced its main office in Western two weeks ago. Demonstrators had thrown paint and eggs at an emblem outside the building, forcing the office to replace it, and cover it up with a protective plastic box.

The condemnation comes a day after former Chief Executive CY Leung offered a HK$1 million reward for useful information leading to the prosecution of the perpetrator.