Probe Decision Needed For Real Dialogue: Academic

A public administration expert from Chinese University said on Thursday that the government should announce some steps towards an independent probe into police action if it really wants protesters to agree to dialogue.

Professor Wilson Wong said he fears the views gathered from members of the public at the first dialogue session with the Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Thursday night will not be representative of those who are protesting.

"I believe they should definitely listen to more views of the people in a sense that they should talk to people who truly represent citizens taking part in the protests and not to people who sign up themselves or people who are supporters of the government," Wong said.

Wong said those attending the dialogue session to be held at the Queen Elizabeth stadium in Wan Chai will likely be more moderate members of society and not frontline protesters.

But he said to end the ongoing crisis, the government needs to communicate with protesters. And to do that, Wong said, the government needs show people it is really listening, by sending out a signal it is willing to set up on an independent inquiry.

He told RTHK's Janice Wong that the protests have continued for months because protesters think the government is not listening to them.