Central Govt Backs Carrie Lam, Praises Police

Beijing on Monday said it firmly supports Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her government, and praised what it called the “fearless and outstanding” Hong Kong police over their handling of recent anti-extradition protests.

At a press conference in Beijing, a spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Yang Guang, said the central government “especially understands and sympathises with the tremendous pressure felt by police officers and their families".

He said the acts of “a small number of radical protesters" had seriously damaged Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.

Yang said the most urgent thing the SAR government should do now is to punish violent protesters and restore social stability.

He also dismissed suggestions that the police had colluded with triad groups in the attack on civilians and protesters in Yuen Long on July 21.

Yang said such rumours are baseless. He added the central government acknowledged the tremendous efforts and sacrifices made by the police in handling the recent events, and that officers had been conducting themselves with restraint and professionalism.

Yang called on Hong Kong society to “emerge from political disputes” as soon as possible, and focus on economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. He warned that if the crisis continues, the entire society will have to “foot the bill”.

Among the livelihood issues, Yang highlighted the need to help young people on housing, education, jobs and starting their own business, so as to ease their grievances.

He said the central government is happy to work with the SAR to create the right conditions for young people's development.

As to whether Beijing will consider relaunching political reform in Hong Kong to ease tension, a Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokeswoman, Xu Luying, said the central government's position remains that democratic development should be carried out gradually in accordance with the Basic Law and the SAR's domestic laws.

It is the first time that China’s top policy office on Hong Kong affairs has held a press briefing on the SAR since the 1997 handover.

The central government had announced the briefing as clashes were going on between police and protesters outside its liaison office in the SAR the day before.

The protest which started as a backlash against Carrie Lam administration's plan to amend the fugitive ordinance has grown to include other demands, such as universal suffrage.

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