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Hong Kong leader rules out concessions
Why is it in news?
- Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam warned that two months of pro-democracy demonstrations were causing economic chaos in the city but ruled out making concessions to “silence the violent protesters”.
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- Economic impact:(1) The embattled leader met with business leaders as thousands of pro-democracy activists staged a sit-in at Hong Kong airport, hoping to win international support for their movement.(2) Ms. Lam, whose support for a Bill to allow extradition to mainland China sparked the crisis, warned that the economic impact of the unrest threatened to be worse than the 2003 SARS outbreak in the financial hub.(3) Compared to the economic downturn caused by SARS which caused an economic storm, the situation this time is more severe. In other words, the economic recovery will take a very long time.
- Impact on tourism industry:(1) The private sector and the tourism industry in particular have raised concerns about the economic impact of the ongoing protests on the city, with travel agencies reporting drops of up to 50% in group tour bookings and the tourism board warning of double-digit declines in visitor arrivals in the second half of July.(2) Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific has also warned that inbound bookings are down.
- Violent confrontations: Protesters have continued to stage almost daily rallies which have seen increasingly violent confrontations with police, prompting several countries to issue Hong Kong travel warnings for their citizens.
- Reason for the protest: Extradition Bill: The protests began two months ago over the controversial extradition Bill but have morphed into a broader movement demanding democratic reforms.
- Hong Kong’s leader response to demands:(1) Ms. Lam has refused to cave in to the demands, which include a call for the direct election of the city’s Chief Executive, currently chosen by Beijing.(2) Protesters have staged increasingly inventive rallies across Hong Kong, and brought out supporters ranging from families to lawyers in a bid to show the broad backing for their demands.(3) The weeks of demonstrations pose the biggest threat to Beijing’s authority since Hong Kong’s handover from Britain in 1997.
Source
The Hindu