It is the government’s responsibility to find a way out of unrest that has rocked Hong Kong, embattled Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) said yesterday as she began her first public dialogue event, an effort to assuage protesters ahead of the anniversary of Chinese Communist Party rule in China on Tuesday next week.
“In the past three-plus months, no matter what stance you take, everyone is very heartbroken, upset or even angry. The entire unrest is caused by the government’s work in amending the extradition law,” Lam said at the town hall-style session, referring to a controversial bill that first triggered protests. “The government is shouldering the biggest responsibility for finding a way out.”
Lam acknowledged that many in the territory were worried about unrest over the coming weekend, which is to mark the fifth anniversary of 2014’s Occupy demonstrations — Hong Kong’s previous pro-democracy movement.
Photo: AFP
As she spoke, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the venue after earlier calls for people to form a human chain, chanting: “Five demands, not one less.”
Lam earlier this week urged demonstrators not to disrupt the forum.
She was joined by four influential ministers: Hong Kong Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip (聶德權), Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau (邱騰華), Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah (劉江華) and Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan (陳肇始).
Photo: EPA-EFE
Members of the public attending the two-hour session at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in the Wanchai neighborhood were to be chosen to speak by a random lottery, the government had said earlier.
The event was moderated by Kenneth Ng, a political assistant to Nip and former news anchor for local station Television Broadcasts, who said in opening remarks that about 130 people were registered to enter the venue and that officials would give an “integrated” response every six questions.
Lam has seemed prepared for the public anger that would likely be directed at her during the forum.
“No doubt, I will receive some harsh criticism. But I also hope to receive constructive suggestions to help this government meet the public’s expectations for a more inclusive and fairer Hong Kong,” she wrote in a Wednesday opinion piece in the New York Times.
“I hear many people asked whether these dialogues are just a political show,” Lam said as the forum began. “These opinions I totally understand. The past days have led to a big drop of trust over the SAR [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region] government and myself. People also doubt whether there’s environment for dialogue. No matter how difficult it is, my colleagues and I all think this direct dialogue should commence now.”
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