Hong Kong, Sep 17: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said her administration would hold a public dialogue session aimed at easing political turmoil and tensions in the city next week, and reiterated calls for an end to the months-long violence that has ramped the territory since June.
She stated the session would be as public or open as possible with civilian’ members able to ink up to attend, according to Reuters news reports.
“Hong Kong society has really accumulated a lot of deep-rooted economic, social and even political issues, I hope these different forms of dialogue can provide a platform for us to discuss,” Lam told reporters at a weekly briefing.
She said the problems, including land and housing shortages, is among the huge issue of the world’s densely populated cities of 7.4 million. “The problems go well beyond the bill,” Lam told reporters.
“But I have to stress here, dialogue platform doesn’t mean we don’t have to take resolute enforcement actions. Suppressing the violence in front of us is still the priority,” she said.
Hong Kong’s metro stations and businesses have on Monday firmly resumed working after a chaotic rally on Sunday when the city’s police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon at dissenters who attempted block paths and spilling petrol bombs near authority’s headquarters.
According to Reuters, hundreds of Hong Kong university students, dressed in black with some having face masks, took it to the streets to rally peacefully on Monday afternoon, urging government to acknowledge civilians’ demands and sang “Glory to Hong Kong” song.
On Monday, Hong Kong authorities reiterated the pertaining violence across the city was not a solution after protesters openly resisted a police ban to demonstrate on Sunday in a mass rally that turned into chaos, as the armed forces used water cannons and tear gas against protesters.
Protests have plunged the city into its largest turmoil in decades with dissenters taking to the streets since the past three months against a controversial extradition bill that would allow suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for court prosecution.
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