US$7.87m needed to repair vandalized govt properties

HONG KONG – About 40 government properties vandalized by radical protesters during protracted social unrest are being repaired by Architectural Services Department at an estimated cost of HK$61 million (US$7.87 million), according to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The damaged buildings include the Legislative Council Complex, Central Government Offices, police stations and government offices in various different districts, the government said in a written reply to the Legislative Council on Friday.

The cost for repairing the damage to the LegCo Complex was the highest, amounting to more than HK$15 million (US$1.93 million), it said.

Anti-government protesters stormed the LegCo Complex on July 1 and August 31 and seriously damaged it. They vandalized facilities there, defaced the HKSAR emblem in the chamber, sprayed offensive graffiti on the walls and destroyed files in the archives.

The cost of repair on the vandalized Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices was estimated at HK$9.3 million (US$1.2 million), the second highest among all 40 damaged properties.