Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to meet with citizens Thursday night

香港行政長官林鄭月娥週四晚與公民見面

150 Hongkongers invited to voice opinions to city's leadership after months of being ignored


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hong Kong's Beijing-appointed chief executive, Carrie Lam, will meet with citizens of the troubled city Thursday night (Sept. 26th) in an apparent effort to appear receptive to public concerns after months of unrest.

Lam will meet members of the public Thursday night in the business district of Wan Chai in what is being called the "first Community Dialogue session," a government spokesperson said Wednesday. The show of reconciliation comes nearly four months after mass protests first erupted against the controversial extradition bill and nearly three weeks after the piece of legislation was finally withdrawn, a move which addressed the first of the protesters' "five demands."

At the dialogue, a total of 150 Hongkongers will have three minutes to air their grievances to the chief executive as well as the secretaries for Food and Health, Commerce and Economic Development, and Constitutional and Mainland Affairs. Attendees will draw ballots to determine who is permitted to speak.

On Wednesday, a high-ranking official from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs cast doubt on the likelihood of such a dialogue ending with protesters' remaining demands being met, saying "Response does not mean concession." Driving home Beijing's intransigence on what it sees as a sovereignty issue, he added that "It will be blatant political blackmail and coercion if anyone believes only acceptance of each and every demand of the opposition counts as response."