Gov’t to engage the public: CE

November 26, 2019

Chief Executive Carrie Lam:

I did confess that this particular election has clearly reflected that many voters wanted to express their opinions and views to the Government, to myself. And the views and opinions expressed, I hope you agree, are quite diverse. There are people who want to express a view that they could no longer tolerate the violence on the streets, there are of course people who felt that our Government has not handled competently the legislative exercise and its aftermath.

But as I have said very clearly on September 4, we have officially and formally withdrawn the bill which was a cause of all this social unrest. The next step to go forward is really, as you have put it, to engage the people and we have started public dialogue with the community. 

But unfortunately with the unstable environment and the chaotic situation, I could not do more of that sort of engagement. I hope that the environment will allow me to do it now, and of course like in the other places’ experience, particularly in the UK after the 2011 Tottenham riots, we are now modelling on that arrangement to set up an independent review committee to look at the causes of the social unrest, which has lasted for so long in Hong Kong, to identify the underlying problems - social, economic or even political - and to recommend measures that the Government should take.

I sincerely hope that these will provide us with a way forward. But let me just stress that after these five or six months, Hong Kong people have realised very clearly that Hong Kong could no longer tolerate this chaotic situation. Everybody wants to go back to their normal life, and this requires the concerted efforts of every one of us. 

So as I have said repeatedly, resorting to violence will not give us that way forward. So please help us to maintain the relative calm and peace that we have seen in the last week or so and provide a good basis for Hong Kong to move forward.

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

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Government’s next step in going forward is to engage the people.

Mrs Lam made the statement at a media stand-up ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, during which she said the District Council Ordinary Election showed that many voters wanted to express their views to the Government.

“There are people who want to express a view that they could no longer tolerate the violence on the streets, there are of course people who felt that our Government has not handled competently the legislative exercise and its aftermath.”

Mrs Lam said the Government announced the withdrawal of the fugitive bill on September 4.

“The next step to go forward is really to engage the people and we have started public dialogue with the community.

“But unfortunately with the unstable environment and the chaotic situation, I could not do more of that sort of engagement.

“I hope that the environment will allow me to do it now, and of course like in the other places’ experience, particularly in the UK after the 2011 Tottenham riots, we are now modelling on that arrangement to set up an independent review committee to look at the causes of the social unrest.”

The Chief Executive added that this model could help identify the underlying social, economic or political problems and recommend measures that the Government should take.

Mrs Lam also stressed that resorting to violence is not the way forward.

“Please help us to maintain the relative calm and peace that we have seen in the last week or so and provide a good basis for Hong Kong to move forward.”