Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam today vowed to stay on as the city’s leader following a report that Beijing had refused to accept her resignation multiple times over the fallout from the government’s botched handling of a controversial extradition bill.
The comments came one day after the Financial Times published a report, citing two anonymous sources, that Lam had offered several times to resign as chief executive, but that the central Chinese government had told her “to stay to clean up the mess she created.”
Responding to a question during a press briefing at the Tai Po Nethersole Hospital this afternoon, Lam told reporters: “The term for the chief executive for the Hong Kong SAR government is five years. Although I’m facing a lot of difficulties, I have said on many occasions that I will continue to serve out the rest of my term.”
Lam and Security Secretary John Lee were at the hospital visiting police officers injured in clashes last night following yet another anti-government protest in Sha Tin.
“I have already announced that work on the bill stopped a month ago on June 15. I understand our response cannot answer all requests, but this is not my personal problem,” Lam continued. “We have taken into account many things and hope society can understand, and we have taken into account many different factors and had already given a practical and reasonable response.”
That response, however, has failed to quell the anger of a broad cross-section of Hongkongers. Indeed, Lam’s remarks today were interrupted by a heckler, who shouted “Carrie Lam, step down!” and “Carrie Lam, you dickhead!”
“Do you plan to apologize to the people of Hong Kong?” the heckler added.
Despite Lam’s assertion that the widespread dissatisfaction is not her “personal problem,” much of the anger over the government’s handling of the extradition bill has been directed at Lam herself.
Lam first announced a “pause” in the work on the bill — which would have allowed renditions to mainland China — back in mid-June, and reiterated last week that the “bill is dead.” However, opponents of the bill have said they will accept nothing less than its complete withdrawal, which Lam has refused to grant.
Lam has also refused to engage with any of the protesters’ other demands, and stoked public anger further by likening protesting Hongkongers to children throwing a tantrum in a televised interview.
The anti-extradition movement, meanwhile, has grown beyond anger over the bill to include an airing of more general fears of Beijing’s tightening grasp and calls for universal suffrage in electing the city’s leaders.
During her briefing today, Lam strongly condemned the “rioters” who resorted to violence, said that society will not tolerate such acts, adding that the police and Department of Justice will arrest and press charges against those who engaged in violent acts.
Sunday’s clashes were particularly fierce, with 37 arrested and 28 hospitalized — including a police officer who allegedly had his finger bitten off.
Security Secretary Lee, for his part, also condemned last night’s “illegal and violent acts,” and called on Hongkongers to protect the rule of law and support the police.
He said that after seeing the injured police officers today, he was certain that violence against the officers was organized.
“Normal protesters will not do this. Violent acts usually occur after peaceful protests; they were deliberate in attacking police, and have masked themselves among normal protesters,” he said.
Reader Interactions