Hong Kong anti-government protesters reject Beijing’s claim that an inquiry into unrest could only start if they stop taking to the streets
- Director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office leaves open possibility of commission to investigate recent unrest, but says demonstrations must ends first
- Protesters tell reporters they have ‘no trust in the government’
Anti-government protesters have vowed “no negotiation and no compromise” a day after Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs said one of their demands – an inquiry into the recent political saga – could happen only when the chaos has ended.
Beijing’s call for unity also prompted a league of major property developers to jointly condemn the increasingly violent protests against the now-shelved extradition bill.
On Wednesday, Zhang Xiaoming, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, denounced the Hong Kong protests as bearing the “obvious characteristics of a colour revolution” and urged some 500 political and business leaders who met him in Shenzhen, mainland China, to fearlessly safeguard the city’s rule of law.
Zhang left open the possibility of the government setting up a commission to investigate the recent unrest, something widely called for, but only when the protests have ended.
However, a group of activists who have taken part in the spate of protests made clear they would not halt the protests before their demands are met.
