Hong Kong’s embattled leader faced a barrage of criticism Thursday night as she held a town hall-style meeting in her first overture to the public since pro-democracy protests erupted in the Chinese-ruled city nearly four months ago.
The over two hour-long dialogue, which at times descended into emotional tirades and salvos directed at the Beijing-backed leader, comes as Asia’s financial center is gripped by its greatest political crisis in decades. Businesses, especially tourism dependent sectors, have begun to complain of an economic sting as the protracted, sometimes violent upheaval scares off visitors.
As she met face-to-face with her critics, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam pledged this was no “PR stunt.” Everyone in the course of these past few months has felt worried and anxious, she said, adding that the responsibility for resolving the unrest lies with her government.
Via lottery, 150 members of the public were invited to come and express their concerns. Speaker aft..