Chief Executive Carrie Lam met with moderate young protesters – what’s next in dialogue process?
- Government sticks to plan to meet first with moderate protesters before reaching out to more radical activists, source says
- Organisers of landmark dialogue meeting urge government to meet demands to jump-start dialogue process
Most of the young people who on Monday spoke with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in a landmark dialogue session had taken part in anti-government marches, organisers of the meeting have told the Post.
Several leaders of the youth groups who organised the Monday meeting said they were open to similar events to allow senior government officials more opportunities to exchange ideas with young protesters.
The youth group’s involved included the Outstanding Young Persons’ Association, the Hong Kong Playground Associations and the Junior Chamber International Hong Kong.
The ongoing political crisis can’t be resolved simply by suppression
“We discussed the idea late last week and government officials were interested in such an arrangement,” said Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung, vice-chairman of the Outstanding Young Persons’ Association.
The Post was told that at least one well-established youth group withdrew from the initiative after discussions started.
Lam on Monday afternoon held a closed-door meeting with about 20 protesters, most of whom were in their 20s and 30s. She was accompanied by Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung and Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah.
The three youth groups said they invited young people from various backgrounds to attend the meeting.