Gov’t will not condone violence

August 27, 2019

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:
Starting a dialogue doesn’t mean that we will condone violence. If violence continues, the only thing that we should do is to stamp out that violence through law enforcement actions. You would just imagine if under the pretext of communication or starting a dialogue that we are not going to enforce the laws in Hong Kong, that we are going to tolerate all forms of violence and disruptions in Hong Kong, that will be the end of the rule of law in Hong Kong. But when some people said that since there is continued violence, we should stop communicating, I said in my introductory remarks that that is also another extreme view, that we should prepare for reconciliation in society by communicating with different people. So I am saying that, yes, we have to say no to violence, we want to put an end to the chaotic situation in Hong Kong through law enforcement and so on, but at the same time, we will not give up on building a platform for dialogue.

(To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Starting a dialogue does not mean the Government will condone violence, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said the only way to stamp out violence is through law enforcement actions.

“You would just imagine if under the pretext of communication or starting a dialogue that we are not going to enforce the laws in Hong Kong, that we are going to tolerate all forms of violence and disruptions in Hong Kong, that will be the end of the rule of law in Hong Kong.”

Mrs Lam added the Government should prepare for reconciliation in society by communicating with different people and that Hong Kong should say no to violence.

“We have to say no to violence, we want to put an end to the chaotic situation in Hong Kong through law enforcement and so on, but at the same time, we will not give up on building a platform for dialogue.”