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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session after attending Pui Kiu College 2013-2014 G12 Graduation cum G6 Promotion Ceremony this afternoon (May 31):
Reporter: Chief Secretary, regarding the Occupy Central movement, today Executive Council member, Mrs Regina Ip, said that it may not be illegal, it may be legal in fact that it may not destroy the rule of law. And even outgoing IPCC (the Independent Police Complaints Council) chairman, Mr Jat Sew-tong, relate the same sentiment. What do you think of the Occupy Central movement and how do you think it would affect the political reform in Hong Kong?
Chief Secretary for Administration: Now first of all, this Occupy Central action has not yet taken place. So our understanding of this action is based on what we learnt from reports, or directly from what the convenors of Occupy Central have said in the past year or so. And based on what they have said, which is basically to obstruct traffic or pedestrian flow in Hong Kong, or even to paralyse the entire Central in order to sort of force the Central Authorities or the Hong Kong SAR Government to accept certain proposals on constitutional development. And from this particular perspective, one could easily conclude, that the action is very likely to be illegal, that is breaching the laws in Hong Kong. But since it has not taken place, so as I said, we could only base on what we heard about this action. Of course the rule of law is Hong Kong's cornerstone, and it is one of our most important core values. It has taken a lot of time to build up this core value in Hong Kong. I don't think one or two radical actions of this nature will upset or destroy the rule of law in Hong Kong. But to have illegal action like the sort that had been said for many months now, I don't think it is in the overall public interest.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, May 31, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:01
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