Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor speaks to the media ahead of an Executive Council meeting in Hong Kong, Nov 19, 2019. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Tuesday that she hoped a standoff between police and anti-government protesters at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University could be resolved peacefully.
This object (a peaceful resolution to the standoff) can only be achieved with the fully cooperation of the protesters, including the rioters
Carrie Lam, HK's Chief Executive
At a regular weekly briefing, Lam said the HKSAR government was extremely worried about the dangerous situation in campuses, calling for protesters to be cooperative to achieve a peaceful end to the standoff.
"This object can only be achieved with the fully cooperation of the protesters, including the rioters. They have to stop violence, give up their weapons, come out peacefully and take the instructions from the police," Lam said.
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The standoff has persisted since the weekend with about 100 rioters still holed up in the university.
Lam said 600 people have left the university campus overnight, including around 200 who were under 18 years old.
She said she had asked the police to treat minor protesters in a humanitarian way.
"We have arranged principles and groups of representatives to go to the campus to encourage and persuade these minors to come out peacefully," Lam said.
Police will only make a record of the personal data of minors who come out peacefully and no immediate arrests will be made, Lam said, though the government reserves the right to undertake further investigations in future.
Lam was speaking after new police chief Tang Ping-keung called for residents’ support to end more than five months of violent protests stemming from the extradition bill incident.
In response to a reporter's question on People's Liberation Army soldiers help cleaning the debris on the streets over the weekend, Lam said it was not uncommon for the garrison to undertake some voluntary and charitable activities in Hong Kong.
"There are very clear rules and circumstances governing those situations. I can give you a list of examples of the garrison's participation in such charitable and voluntary activities," Lam said.
"I would suggest that we do not over-interpret this particular act of voluntary involvement," she said.
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