HK’s Carrie Lam asked, ‘When will you die?’
WHEN Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam appeared before the press on Tuesday, she appeared to be expecting to deliver a brief statement and move on. Instead she faced a media onslaught.
No sooner were her prepared remarks finished than the full-frontal assault – in both Cantonese and English – began.
“You blame your own political misjudgement on others, and refuse to acknowledge your mistakes,” one journalist said.
“When will you accept political responsibility to end citizens’ fear? . . . When will you be willing to step down? When will you tell the police to stop?” the reporter from Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK asked.
Before Lam could respond, the reporter added an admonition: “You asked me in the past to take my job seriously, so please answer me seriously as well.”
The embattled Beijing-backed leader began to reply but more questions were shouted.
“Citizens are afraid of you and the police, can you answer the question?”
The combative press conference was an indication of the rising tensions in the city after a weekend of violence that left dozens of people with injuries, some of them serious.
Under the “one country, two systems” principle, the media in Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unheard of in mainland China. A broad spectrum of political leanings are represented, from fiesty independent elements to strongly pro-Beijing outlets.
Lam at times appeared caught offguard by the intensity of the questioning, with reporters repeatedly interrupting her and accusing her of failing to respond.
“Please don’t interrupt,” an official pleaded as reporters shouted over Lam.
At one point she paused, looked