‘This is no longer about my personal honour’: Carrie Lam when asked if she should resign as chief executive of Hong Kong
- In first public appearance in two weeks, city’s leader says extreme activists have changed nature of protests
- Actions challenge national sovereignty and threaten ‘one country, two systems’, she says
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor gave her first press conference in two weeks after a weekend of violence and chaos. Here are some brief excerpts of what she said:
OPENING REMARKS
“Hong Kong has been the safest city in the world. But this series of extremely violent acts is pushing Hong Kong to a very dangerous situation, some extreme activists have altered the nature of these protests.”
“They removed the national flag, threw it into the sea, and called for a revolution to liberate Hong Kong. These actions challenged national sovereignty, threatened ‘one country, two systems’, and would destroy the city’s prosperity and stability.”
“Do we have to gamble with the stable lives of 7 million people and the city’s future? Our society is becoming unsafe and unstable. This approach, which some people said was to bring collateral damage, would push Hong Kong onto a path of no return.”
“People should respect others’ right to go to work. Blocking roads, stopping people from going to work could cause people to lose their jobs, and many grass roots families would be affected.”
