Hong Kong leader says evoking emergency law not "step closer" to authoritarianism
Record ID:
1435160
Hong Kong leader says evoking emergency law not "step closer" to authoritarianism
- Title: Hong Kong leader says evoking emergency law not "step closer" to authoritarianism
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "And in these cases, the Hong Kong SAR government is invoking a valid, existing piece of legislation, to make a piece of regulation. And the regulation made, fully complies with the spirit and the letter with this piece of existing legislation. So I don't see how you could relate this closer to a step closer to authoritarianism. This is a responsible act to deal with an extremely difficult situation for which I hope the world has sympathy." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "I have said time and again that this is something that we will handle within Hong Kong in accordance with one country two systems and our existing legal means. So there is no such thing as a Central People's Government approval for the chief executive and council to exercise a power which is given to the chief executive and council under existing legislation." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "And I may just add, that my very brief trip to Beijing is to lead a delegation to celebrate the National Day and I came back much earlier than the other delegation, and I came back much earlier than the other delegation, so I was in Hong Kong on the first of October by around late afternoon, and there was absolutely no interaction, discussion, encounters whatsoever with any People's Central Government officials on this matter during my very brief stay in Beijing." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "But when the situation causes this law to disappear, the chief executive will revoke the law. And the public must share have this same sentiment too. If there are no more existing threats to public security, why would this law exist?" NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "One has to appreciate as what the secretary for security has said. The police are in a reactionary mode. They are people enforcing the law. So if there are no people breaking the law, then the police have very little to react to. So if the police have to take actions because people are violating the law, of course, we have to make sure that the police have adequate powers, adequate resources to be able to discharge their duties. So any suggestion that because we don't want to people to dislike the police, and hence we don't give police the adequate powers and resources to discharge their duties is perhaps not a very appropriate action to take." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "First of all, I have not read the report or the statement made by an overseas leader (Mahathir Bin Mohamad), but every one of us have freedom of expression, so I'm not going to comment on whatever was being said." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS PROTESTERS GATHERED ON ROAD IN CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WEARING MASKS PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS AND SETTING FIRE TO BANNER CELEBRATING CHINESE NATIONAL DAY PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS AND TEARING BANNER CELEBRATING CHINESE NATIONAL DAY PROTESTERS ROLLING UP BANNER ON TOP OF OVERPASS BRIDGE PROTESTERS HURLING BANNER OFF OF OVER PASS/PROTESTERS ON ROAD CLAPPING PROTESTERS GATHERED HOLDING UMBRELLAS/BANNER BURNING ON ROAD BANNER BURNING PROTESTERS GATHERED HOLDING UMBRELLAS/BANNER BURNING ON ROAD FIREFIGHTER SPRAYING BURNING BANNER FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING BURNING BANNER/FIRETRUCK PARKED ON ROAD
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 11:17
- Keywords: ban emergency powers news conference Mahathir Carrie Lam protests face masks Hong Kong Chief Executive emergency law
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZOK287
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Friday (October 4) that she does not see how invoking an emergency law to ban face masks could be a "step closer" to authoritarianism.
Lam, speaking at a news conference, said a ban on face masks would take effect on Saturday (October 5) under the emergency laws that allow authorities to "make any regulations whatsoever" in whatever they deem to be in the public interest.
The embattled chief executive said that the decision did not require the approval of the People's Central Government and that the law was not discussed during her visit to Beijing.
Lam vowed, however, that when there is no more need for the law, then it will "disappear".
Just after Lam's announcement, dozens of protesters gathered in the city's Central business district, occupying a small road, and some even burning a banner celebrating China's October 1st National Day.
Four months of anti-government protests have plunged the former British colony into its biggest political crisis since its handover to Beijing in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula granting it autonomy.
What began as opposition to a proposed extradition law, that could have seen people sent for trial in mainland courts, has grown into a broad pro-democracy movement and a serious challenge to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
(Production: Aleks Solum, Ronn Bautista, Joseph Campbell, Sophia Soo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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