02:59Hong Kong: 'Irresponsible and unfounded' - Lam on US Senator calling HK 'police state'
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam called US senator Josh Hawley's recent remarks on Hong Kong becoming a police state as "totally irresponsible and unfounded".
Speaking to reporters in Hong Kong on Monday she said, "I would challenge every politician to ask themselves if the large extent of violent acts and all those petrol bombs and arson and attacks, really deadly attacks on policemen happened in their own country, what would they do? What would their policemen do? So my simple response is to describe Hong Kong as a police state is totally unfounded, and what's more we have very important mechanisms providing check and balance in every aspect of our law enforcement."
US senator Hawley courted controversy on Monday, when he warned that Hong Kong is inching towards becoming a police state. His remarks came after a two-day trip to Hong Kong along with US Texas Senator Ted Cruz, where he met with prominent anti-Beijing activist Joshua Wong and watched Sunday night protests.
He is also among the sponsors of the 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act' bill which calls for annual evaluations of whether Hong Kong still meets the conditions - including remaining autonomous - of the 1992 U.S. law granting it special economic status.
02:59Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam called US senator Josh Hawley's recent remarks on Hong Kong becoming a police state as "totally irresponsible and unfounded".
Speaking to reporters in Hong Kong on Monday she said, "I would challenge every politician to ask themselves if the large extent of violent acts and all those petrol bombs and arson and attacks, really deadly attacks on policemen happened in their own country, what would they do? What would their policemen do? So my simple response is to describe Hong Kong as a police state is totally unfounded, and what's more we have very important mechanisms providing check and balance in every aspect of our law enforcement."
US senator Hawley courted controversy on Monday, when he warned that Hong Kong is inching towards becoming a police state. His remarks came after a two-day trip to Hong Kong along with US Texas Senator Ted Cruz, where he met with prominent anti-Beijing activist Joshua Wong and watched Sunday night protests.
He is also among the sponsors of the 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act' bill which calls for annual evaluations of whether Hong Kong still meets the conditions - including remaining autonomous - of the 1992 U.S. law granting it special economic status.