HK leader renews appeal for dialogue with protesters
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam yesterday renewed an appeal to pro-democracy protesters to halt violence and engage in dialogue, as the city’s richest man urged the government to provide a way out for the mostly young demonstrators.
The government last week promised to ax an extradition bill that sparked three months of protests but failed to placate protesters, whose demands also include democratic reforms and police accountability. Protesters vandalized subway stations, set street fires and blocked traffic, forcing police to fire tear gas over the weekend.
Lam said the escalation of violence, where over 150 people including students were detained in clashes since Friday, will deepen rifts and prolong the road to recovery.
She said her decision to formally withdraw the extradition bill and other initiatives reflected her sincerity to heal society and bring back peace.
“We are gearing up to go into the community to have that dialogue directly with the people but I make a further appeal here, that the first priority in order to achieve the objective of bringing peace and order to Hong Kong, is for all of us, all people of Hong Kong, to say no to violence,” she told a news conference.
Billionaire Li Ka Shing, in a video broadcast on local TV, described the summer of unrest as the worst disaster since World War II. In his first public comments, Li, 91, called youths the “masters of our future” and said the government should temper justice with mercy in resolving the crisis.
“I am very worried. We hope Hong Kong people will be able to ride out the storm. We hope the young people can consider the big picture and those at the helm can give the masters of our future a way out,” Li told a religious gathering outside a Buddhist temple over the weekend.
“Although humanity may sometimes clash with the rule of law, in political issues, both sides should try to put their feet in another’s shoes, then many big troubles can be reduced into smaller ones,” he said. Li recently took out newspaper advertisements urging an end to violence.