Using blaze tragedy to create chaos will not be tolerated

Only those with the darkest and most ill-intentioned hearts would seek to exploit a tragedy, such as the recent fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, for their own ends. Yet there are some pointing accusing fingers at the rescue and relief work and the official investigation into the cause of the blaze.

In the wake of the devastating fire, the swift and professional response from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has been commendable. It activated the highest emergency response mechanisms, and firefighters, police officers and medical personnel demonstrated extraordinary courage and dedication to saving lives. Their tireless efforts, at the cost of injury or even loss of their own life, have earned respect and admiration.

It is therefore deeply troubling that at a time when the special administrative region has been left reeling and unity and resilience are paramount, there is a small group of anti-government forces looking to take advantage of the disaster to create trouble by spreading malicious misinformation aimed at sowing discord. Echoing the tactics of past protests, they have been disseminating fake news on the internet, misrepresenting public opinion with so-called "petitions for the people" and distributing seditious pamphlets.

Such actions and their intent are both "despicable and intolerable", as they are a direct challenge to the moral fabric of society and cause secondary harm to the victims of the disaster, as a spokesperson for the central government's office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong said in a statement on Wednesday.

In times of crisis, it is customary for the fundamental principles of humanity to come to the fore and people to come together to save lives and support those in need. The collective efforts of all segments of Hong Kong society have demonstrated unity and resilience. And the outpouring of support from across the country, including donations and relief materials from Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities, has highlighted the deep bonds of kinship and the collective spirit of compassion.

Yet instead of supporting the SAR government in this difficult time, these pro-chaos elements are throwing mud at it, maliciously attacking the disaster relief and post-disaster recovery work by spreading rumors and distorting the truth.

In a statement, the SAR government called for residents to remain vigilant, not let their guard down, and not be swayed by the false information and divisive rhetoric of those seeking to exploit the tragedy for political gain. It made it clear that any attempt to incite division and hatred will not be tolerated. As it said, if such acts are left unchecked, they would negatively impact the relief work, undermine the stability of society and could endanger national security. It is therefore rightly committed to taking decisive action and "exhausting all means" to hold accountable the destabilizing forces, no matter where they are.

Likewise, the spokesperson for the central government's office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong made it clear that the Hong Kong National Security Law has already laid a tight net and those who attempt to revive the "memory of resistance", create chaos in Hong Kong or ignite a "color revolution "have nowhere to hide and will be shown no leniency.

In such challenging times, a collective commitment to truth, unity and resilience is essential. To deny these malicious elements any joy in their efforts to use divisive tactics to exploit vulnerabilities, people's focus must be on healing and recovery, supporting affected residents and ensuring that Hong Kong society emerges stronger and more united from this ordeal.