- Title: Hong Kong leader hopes peaceful, rational dialog can help solve crisis
- Date: 24th September 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARRIE LAM WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARRIE LAM SAYING: "I would say that if on Thursday evening we could have a two-hour session to engage with the 150 members of the public who spend the two hours with us exchanging views and communicating ideas in a candid, frank manner, that will be regarded as a successful dialogue. It will not be possible for a consensus to be reached, after all these attentions in society that we have seen. So to me this is one step forward, it will be a long journey to achieve reconciliation in society, let alone to return to the more normal Hong Kong that we are all very familiar with." LAM LISTENING TO QUESTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARRIE LAM SAYING: "I sincerely hope the first dialogue will be conducted in a peaceful, rational and calm manner. Me and my colleagues will humbly listen to the requests of people attending the meeting. Hopefully we can find a way out for Hong Kong in this chaotic situation. Some people are worried whether the upcoming dialogue will succeed, whether it will conclude on time. For me and my colleagues, no matter how difficult it will be, we will continue to carry out public dialogues." LAM LISTENING TO QUESTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARRIE LAM SAYING: "My support for the (police) force because it is an important law enforcement agency that helps us to safeguard the rule of law but that doesn't mean that I would condone irregularities or wrong practices done by the police force, otherwise there would not have to be all these institutions like the CAPO (Complaints Against Police Office) and the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Council) to look into complaints about individual officers and on this occasion because of the severity of the protests and the incidents the IPCC has taken the initiative with my full support to undertake a thematic fact-finding study to assess several important incidents and to come up with recommendations." LAM LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARRIE LAM SAYING: "So my advise and my appeal is for those affected individuals to come forward to provide their side of the story and to be undertaken in a fair and impartial manner, for example if there's a complaint to IPCC or to CAPO, I understand that IPCC in additions to the member of the council, they have about hundred observers who will be invited to join the interviews or these occasions to look at videos in order to form a more impartial view of what has taken place. We have to put our trust in these important institutions which has kept Hong Kong going for so many years, I know the level of mutual trust is now relatively low in Hong Kong but we have to make sure we can continue to operate as a civil society and so these institutions will continue to play a very important part in that particular respect. Thank you." HONG KONG SAR EMBLEM LAM LEAVING
- Embargoed: 8th October 2019 04:27
- Keywords: Hong Kong China Carrie Lam leader public dialogue police
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AY0LZRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday (September 24) that she hoped peaceful and rational dialog will help find a way out of the protests gripping the former British colony.
Lam said she was looking forward to engage with members of the community in a free and frank discussion with a robust exchange of ideas this week to move towards a peaceful resolution of the ongoing logjam.
Anti-government protests have roiled the Chinese-ruled city for nearly four months, plunging it into its biggest crisis in decades and posing a direct challenge to its political masters in Beijing.
Many peaceful protests have degenerated into running battles between black-clad protesters and police, who have responded with tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and several live rounds fired into the air.
Police, who have also been seen beating protesters on the ground with batons, say they have shown restraint on the streets in the face of increased violence, including protesters hurling petrol bombs at security forces.
Amnesty International on Tuesday (September 24) urged the Hong Kong government to investigate police use of force but the government has urged public to come forth to help the investigation of Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), in the news conference.
(Production: Zaw Naing Oo, Angie Teo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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