HK leader: End calls for independence

This article is more than 12 months old

Sep 20, 2017 06:00 am

HONG KONG：Chief Executive Carrie Lam yesterday urged an immediate end to independence debates in the Chinese-ruled global financial hub, warning that the issue was harming the city's relationship with Beijing's Communist Party leaders.

Insisting that the government did not want to intervene on university campuses against those who have been flying independence banners, Ms Lam said the campaign was "organised and systematic" rather than simply an issue of freedom of speech.

"This has already deviated from the so-called 'why aren't we able to talk about this?' point of view. It is clearly attacking 'one country, two systems'... and destroying the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong," she said.

"It is not in the interests of Hong Kong's development and must stop." - REUTERS