At WEF Carrie Lam Defends Govt. Action Against Hong Kong Protests

In the midst of the protests in Hong Kong, chief executive Carrie Lam set out to discuss the matter at the global stage of WEF 2020. In her address to the international delegates and audience, Carrie Lam strongly defended the action of the Government against the protests in Hong Kong. The protests were stimulated by the introduction of the Fugitive Amendment Bill by the Hong Kong government. Carrie Lam defended the Government's action and police conduct.

Key Takeaways:

• Hong Kong Protests started in April 2019 and continue still. The protest was initially against the Fugitive Amendment Bill.
• The bill was scrapped in September and protest demanded investigation of the police action.
• Ms Lam defended the Government action and police conduct on the protest grounds. 
• She denied any claims about deploying Tiananmen Square-style of China Troops in Hong Kong to curb the protests. The government will follow the "one country, two systems" framework. 
• Ms Lam said the resignation would be an easy option but would make things complicated. 

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Cary Lam defends Hong Kong Government

Speaking to the international leaders and audience at WEF, Lam said that the situation in Hong Kong is much more complex than a simple fight for democracy, reports Financial Times. She said that the authorities’ actions are always restrained in handling violent protests. Ms Lam said she “ resisted calls to announce a curfew or restrict press coverage.”

Explaining the urgency of the situation, she claimed, “ 10,000 petrol bombs had either been hurled at the police or discovered on university campuses.”

"While people focus on what has happened in Hong Kong, what has not happened in the last months is massive bloodshed on Hong Kong streets . . . A curfew has not happened. The gagging of the media has not happened,” she added.

When she was asked by the commentators about the deployment of Tiananmen Square-style of China Troops in Hong Kong to forcibly stop the protests, Ms Lam denied any such claim. She said, “all such predictions had been proved wrong. No troops would be deployed so long as the “one country, two systems” framework — which guaranteed the former British colony considerable autonomy for 50 years following the handover in 1997 while recognising China’s sovereignty — remained intact and sacrosanct.” She went on to claim that many protesters did not understand the “one country, two systems” framework.

Hong Kong Protests 2019-2020:

According to BBC reports, the protests triggered in April 2019 when the Hong Kong Government introduced the Fugitive Amendment bill. The opponents of the extradition bill feared that it could undermine the "judicial independence" and "endanger dissidents" of the citizens by subjecting Hong Kong to China's jurisdiction. Reports say there were violent clashes between police and the activists on the protest grounds.  The law was withdrawn in September 2019 but the protests still continue with wider demands of Universal Suffrage and an investigation into the police action.

 Ms Lam on her resignation

On being asked whether she is considering to resign as per the demands, Ms Lam said, " “walking away” would be the easy option but would only create more confusion and uncertainty."

Rudranni Kumari is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.

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