Carrie Lam set to offer personal apology for mishandling of Hong Kong’s extradition bill

City’s embattled leader, unlikely to accept demands to withdraw bill altogether but willing to offer more sincere apology, set to speak at 4pm

Protests die down on Tuesday but tens of thousands give Lam ultimatum to meet their demands or face escalated protest action

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam is under pressure from protesters to withdraw the extradition bill completely, with many calling on her to step down. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 12:57pm, 18 Jun 2019Updated: 2:49pm, 18 Jun 2019

Hong Kong’s embattled leader is due to offer a second apology, this time in person, on Tuesday afternoon for her mishandling of a controversial extradition bill, but she is unlikely to accept demands to scrap it altogether.

All eyes are on how Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will try to defuse a public backlash that has not eased despite her decision to suspend the bill, with tens of thousands of opponents sending her an ultimatum to meet their demands or face escalated protest action.

She is set to speak at 4pm.

A source familiar with the situation said Lam was ready to offer a personal apology on Tuesday afternoon, after her previous one in a written statement did not go far enough, but she was unlikely to pledge a full withdrawal of the bill.

She was also expected to address public concerns over the designation of last Wednesday’s clashes as a “riot”, reiterating the police commissioner’s clarification that most of the protesters were not involved in violent attacks on frontline officers.

“It will take a long time for Lam to rebuild her connections with society. It can be done, but it will take time,” the source said.