Editorial | Further dialogue has to dig deeper into problems of Hong Kong society
- Carrie Lam may not have achieved much in her first public session, but more events accompanied with concrete action could help break crisis deadlock
It was never easy for Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to reconnect with the people when the governance crisis, triggered by protests against the extradition bill in June, is still raging.
As widely expected, the city’s embattled chief executive, who has since formally announced the withdrawal of the bill, did not appear to have achieved much in her first community dialogue session on Thursday night.
But the fact that it went ahead and finished amid a highly politically charged environment is perhaps a good start. It is to be hoped that momentum can be sustained, followed by more concrete steps to restore stability, regain public trust and rebuild Hong Kong.
The two-hour session at a Wan Chai sports stadium was arguably a genuine reflection of opinions in society offered by a group of relatively moderate citizens. A handful of government supporters aside, most people were highly critical of Lam and the police. Outside, protests and chaos continued.
Many who spoke were adamant that an independent inquiry into police actions would help end the current impasse, and Lam reiterated that irregularities in law enforcement would not be tolerated. But her support for the Independent Police Complaints Council as the right way to go continues to disappoint the public.
The question is to what extent will such dialogue sessions help reduce violence? In fact, those who find such events a waste of time may now believe even more that confrontation and violence are the best options. It would be worrying if this is the case.