Carrie Lam Announces 4 Actions to Find Way Out of Current Impasse
Our foremost priority now is to end violence, to safeguard the rule of law and to restore order and safety in the society.
Carrie Lam Hong Kong chief executive
Chief Executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Wednesday that the HKSAR government will take four actions to initiate a dialogue to find a way out of the current impasse for Hong Kong. In a televised speech, Ms Lam said that as one of the four actions, the HKSAR government’s secretary for security will move a motion to withdraw the proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance according to the Rules of Procedure when the Legislative Council resumes.
Ms Lam said the HKSAR government will fully support the work of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) and will seriously follow up the recommendations made in the IPCC’s report. From this month, Ms Lam and principal officials of the HKSAR government will reach out to the community to start a direct dialogue.
“People from all walks of life, with different stances and backgrounds, are invited to share their views
and air their grievances. We must find ways to address the discontent in society and to look for solutions,” she said.
Pointing out that “after more than two months of social unrest, it is obvious to many that discontentment extends far beyond the bill,” Ms Lam said the actions also include inviting community leaders, professionals and academics to independently examine and review the society’s deep-seated problems, and advising the government on finding solutions. Ms Lam stressed that lingering violence is damaging the very foundations of the Hong Kong society, especially the rule of law.
“Some people, though not many, attacked the central government’s office in Hong Kong and vandalised the national flag and national emblem. This is a challenge to ‘one country, two systems’,” Ms Lam said.
“Both have put Hong Kong in a highly vulnerable and dangerous situation. Irrespective of our grievances, or the depth of discontentment towards the government, we cannot agree or accept that violence is a solution to our problems,” she pointed out. “Our foremost priority now is to end violence, to safeguard the rule of law and to restore order and safety in the society. As such, the government will strictly enforce the law against all violent and illegal acts,” she said.
The bill, tabled by the HKSAR government at the Legislative Council in April, aims to allow Hong Kong to carry out a case-based cooperation with jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no long-term mutual legal assistance agreement.
Since early June, views among the Hong Kong people concerning the proposed amendments varied, thus sparking a series of disturbances that have severely damaged the peace and stability of the Hong Kong society.