Carrie Lam at a Tuesday conference. Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said Tuesday that the situation in Hong Kong is still under government control and reiterated that she, as a responsible chief executive, will not resign.

Protests over the weekend turned violent once again. A total of 21 police officers were injured and police arrested 86 for offenses ranging from unlawful assembly and possession of offensive weapons to assaulting police officers, during the weekend operations.

Lam said at a Tuesday press conference that any violence should not be glamorized and the government will use the rule of law to end the violence, which "not only benefits the start of a dialogue but also helps deal with deep-rooted problems in society."

There was no need to establish an independent investigation committee, Lam said, as the existing Independent Police Complaints Council was capable of handling cases involving the conduct of the police.

Lam said the council has already been working on public concerns about the policing of protests. She said the Hong Kong police have exercised restraint and used minimal force in an appropriate way. 

Lam also noted that the protesters who knocked down smart street poles with facial recognition software had disrupted the city's smart infrastructure impeding two years of work by the Hong Kong government and all walks of life.

"We have to say 'no' to violence and we will not give up building a platform for dialogue," Lam said. The chief executive urged the whole of society to put an end to the chaotic situation in Hong Kong. 

"I wouldn't say that my government has lost control," Lam said. 

"Day in, day out, we are not only supporting the law enforcement bodies, we are also acting responsibly to deal with other issues that have arisen."


Newspaper headline: Chief executive says HK still under control