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US Consul General Kurt Tong expresses concerns and assurances in farewell Hong Kong address
- In his last public speech, diplomat calls violence of recent protests ‘regrettable’
- Tong says he found Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s apology to be ‘very sincere’
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The outgoing United States consul general has used a farewell address to express concern over the violence of recent protests in Hong Kong and offer assurances to the city’s embattled leader.
Kurt Tong, speaking in his last public address on Tuesday, said the US was “disappointed” to see the violence and vandalism by protesters in the Legislative Council on Monday evening.
“The US view is that the right for freedom of expression is most effective and proper when it’s exercised peacefully,” Tong said after attending a US Independence Day celebration. “I think it’s regrettable that it took place.”
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He was referring to the hundreds of anti-government protesters who stormed into the Legislative Council on the 22nd anniversary of the city’s handover to Chinese rule, breaking windows and putting graffiti all over the chamber.
This is not the first time in history that a fundamentally honourable person has made a serious mistake in governance
The protesters were angry over the now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed the transfer of criminal suspects to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong did not have a fugitive agreement.
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