A group of officers from the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) volunteered to clean up roadblocks and debris from the streets of Hong Kong on Saturday. 

However, some people say that the PLA soldiers had no right to do what they did, and were essentially in violation of Hong Kong's Garrison Law.

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PLA officers and men join clean-up after Hong Kong protests

Responding to such question, the deputy director of Hong Kong's Basic Law Committee said, according to article 11 of this law, the Hong Kong Garrison should only have to inform the Hong Kong government in advance if it was going to conduct military activities, such as training or maneuvers which were in line the region's public interests. 

She said that because the clean-up was neither of these, the soldiers were well within their right to leave their barracks for voluntary work. 

Meanwhile, she said the move had also nothing to do with Article 14 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, which says the Hong Kong government may, when necessary, ask the Central People's Government for assistance from the Hong Kong Garrison for the maintenance of public order and in disaster relief. 

She points out that according to Article 16 of the Hong Kong Garrison Law, members of the Hong Kong Garrison are obliged to protect both the property of the regional government and the property of residents. 

The PLA soldiers' work on Saturday was essentially helping to protect Hong Kong's public property, she stressed.

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Like residents, PLA officers are also stakeholders in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Legislative Councillor Hon Ma Fung-Kwok echoed that the appearance of PLA garrison soldiers cleaning up on the streets is very encouraging. 

"It's a message that the central government cares about Hong Kong's situation and the PLA is showing their support to Hong Kong through this activity, and that's very much welcome by Hong Kong residents," the councilor said.

A statement form the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) said that what the PLA garrison soldiers did on Saturday has no difference with what the soldiers did in a large number of previous public welfare activities in Hong Kong.

The DAB criticized in the statement that Hong Kong's opposition and some radical forces are making sensationalizing by shouting that the PLA's assistance was illegal while blinding the facts that it is the violent activities these days, such as blocking roads, hurting ordinary people, that seriously trample rule of law.