HK detains 40 protesters for scuffles with police

Confrontations between Hong Kong's riot police forces and 'Occupy Central' protestors take place again at Mong Kok late on Nov 28, 2014. [Photo/chinanews.com]

Hong Kong officials said 11 police officers were injured and 40 protesters detained on Monday as rioters forced the temporary closure of government headquarters, chinanews.com reported.

In its strongest-yet statement against the protesters, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said the possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out.

"Society will not accept the illegal acts of violent radicals who repeatedly pushed police officers and charged their cordon lines during scuffles," the statement read.

The statement reported that rioters threw water bottles, helmets, pepper powder and other projectiles at policemen on Sunday night and Monday morning. Police were forced to prevent such illegal acts by force, dispensing and detaining protesters.

A number of recent surveys have found the majority of Hong Kong residents want an immediate end to the protest, which has harmed the interest of the city as a whole, according to the statement.

The statement added that all discussions about political reform must be based on the Hong Kong Basic Law and decisions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Any attempts to ignore the these principles would be like "building castles in the air" and "would only delay the constitutional and democratic development of Hong Kong".

The statement called for the protest organizers to stop illegal actions immediately, and urged all protesters to keep calm and leave peacefully.