Hong Kong police need to use appropriate force in response to violence: HKSAR chief executive

HONG KONG - Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Saturday that she thinks the use of force by Hong Kong police in recent incidents is appropriate in response to rioters' violence.

The police would not use force intentionally, but need to act in response when rioters commit violence, Lam said in a radio program on Saturday morning, adding that she thinks the police used appropriate force in recent law enforcement actions.

She stressed that the HKSAR government will not tolerate illegal and violent acts by anyone including the police, and she is not "blindly supporting" the actions of any individual officer but staunchly backing the police force as a whole while enforcing the law.

Lam pointed out that the HKSAR government should be blamed for not grasping the public sentiment and opinion at the beginning of the disturbances caused by the proposed ordinance amendments concerning fugitives' transfers, but the situation has currently evolved to another level that involves anti-government demands and foreign interference, raising concerns about violating the "one country, two systems" principle and advocating "Hong Kong independence".

The chief executive said she hopes to do her best under the difficult circumstances to lead Hong Kong out of the current impasse.