HKSAR chief executive urges foreign politicians to objectively view Hong Kong situation, stop supporting violence

Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Tuesday urged foreign politicians to take an objective view of the current situation in Hong Kong and stop supporting those who are committing violence.

In response to former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten's recent remarks on the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation of the HKSAR, Lam said, "I hope foreign politicians, before making comments on Hong Kong, can take an objective view of what's happening here and recognize its essence."

She stressed that the essence of the recent so-called "peaceful demonstration for freedom of expression" is "unprecedented violence."

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. [Photo: AP via IC/Vincent Yu]

"For the past four months, especially during the recent one or two months, we were under unprecedented impact of violence," she said. "I believe if they see the real situation currently in Hong Kong, no foreign governments will agree it is essentially about freedom of expression."

Lam made the remarks at a media briefing Tuesday morning before attending the weekly meeting of the HKSAR Executive Council.

She emphasized that the HKSAR government's invoking the power under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to enact the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation is a decision aimed at curbing violence and restoring order.

The anti-mask regulation is in line with international common practices, since similar laws and regulations have been implemented in Western countries including Germany, France and Canada, and in some states in the U.S., she said.

Lam called for empathy of foreign governments and politicians concerning the situation in Hong Kong. "If similar violent incidents occur in their countries, they may take stricter measures," she said.

Rejecting foreign politicians' irresponsible remarks on Hong Kong, Lam urged them to stop maliciously criticizing Hong Kong's efforts to curb violence and glamorizing those who are committing violence as "peaceful demonstrators for freedom of expression."