US puts onus on Hong Kong govt for ending unrest

WASHINGTON: Hong Kong´s government bears the primary responsibility for ending the violence that has roiled the Chinese city, but all sides must show restraint, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.

Pompeo´s comments came as authorities in the financial hub confronted protesters on a university campus, and after Beijing warned it could intervene to end the crisis engulfing the city.

"The United States is gravely concerned by the deepening political unrest and violence in Hong Kong, including the standoff between protesters and police at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and other campuses," Pompeo told a press conference at the State Department.

"The Hong Kong government bears primary responsibility for bringing calm to Hong Kong," Pompeo said, adding that "law enforcement efforts alone" could not resolve the crisis.

He called on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam to open an "independent investigation into the protests-related incidents" to "promote accountability."

"We´ve repeatedly called for restraint from all parties in Hong Kong. Violence by any side is unacceptable," he said.