Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 27 november 2019

Hong Kong campus siege ending

with one protester found

Associated Press anti-government protest- morning, earlier than ex-
HONG KONG (AP) — A ers, saying only that she pected, a senior city offi-
weeklong police siege of would accelerate dialogue cial announced.
a university in Hong Kong and identify ways to ad- The seven search teams
may be winding down, dress societal grievances. went through most of the
closing one of the more She said the central gov- buildings on the Polytech-
violent chapters in the city's ernment in Beijing did not nic campus, finding one
long-running anti-govern- blame her for the election woman who appeared
ment protests. setback, and that while it physically weak, a univer-
A search of the Hong Kong may have reflected un- sity statement said. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam pauses during a press
Polytechnic campus Tues- happiness with the gov- Wai, the vice president, conference in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019.
day found just one woman, ernment's handling of the said she is over 18 and not Associated Press
in weak condition, and a unrest, it also showed that a student of the university.
senior university official said many people want an end A Red Cross first aid team leader and legislature and turned to Chinese control
it's unlikely anyone else re- to the violence. gave her medical care, a probe into accusations of in 1997. The demonstrations
mains. "Let me just stress that after and counselors were trying police brutality. have since expanded into
A few people might still these five-six months, Hong to coax her to surrender. The government hopes to a protest over what they
be hiding in the warren Kong people have real- Holdouts at the university take advantage of the cur- see as Beijing's growing in-
of buildings on the urban ized very clearly that Hong had been trying to avoid rent lull in violence to ac- terference in the city.
campus, trying to avoid ar- Kong could no longer toler- arrest. celerate public dialogue Some analysts said China's
rest. The search apparently ate this chaotic situation," The search teams found and set up an independent ruling Communist Party isn't
didn't find a man who told Lam told reporters after a gasoline bombs and other review committee to find likely to soften its stand on
reporters before dawn that weekly meeting with ad- dangerous items, the Poly- solutions to deep-seated Hong Kong. Chinese me-
he is happy living at the uni- visers. "Please help us to technic statement said. The societal issues, she said. dia have muted reports on
versity and "everyone can maintain the relative calm library was flooded, and "The next step to go for- the poll outcome, focusing
stop worrying about us." and peace that we have the fuel tanks of cars had ward is really, as you have instead on how pro-Beijing
Police have cordoned off seen in the last week or so been forced open. put it, to engage the peo- candidates were harassed
the area to try to prevent and provide a good basis The university plans to re- ple. And we have started and the need to restore
anyone from escaping. for Hong Kong to move for- sume the search in the public dialogue with the law and order.
Polytechnic University Vice ward." morning, possibly with more community," Lam said. "But Beijing is treading cautious-
President Alexander Wai, Her refusal to compromise people. unfortunately, with the un- ly partly to avoid jeopar-
who led a search of the could spark more unrest at The pro-democracy bloc stable environment and a dizing trade talks with the
campus by seven teams, a time when the semi-au- won control of 17 out of 18 chaotic situation, I could United States. It also faces
said he couldn't rule out tonomous Chinese territory district councils in Sunday's not do more on that sort of pressure from planned U.S.
that some people re- has plunged into its first re- election, which was seen engagement. I hope that legislation that could derail
mained, but "the possibility cession in a decade. as a barometer of public the environment will allow Hong Kong's special trade
is not very high." The streets around Poly- support for more than five me to do it now." status and sanction Hong
Attention in Hong Kong has technic were the scenes months of pro-democracy Some pro-establishment Kong and China officials
shifted to city leader Carrie of fierce clashes with po- protests. figures have pointed fin- found to violate human
Lam's response to a major lice 10 days ago. Protesters Lam said that when she gers at Lam for their loss, rights.
loss in local elections Sun- used the campus as a base withdrew an extradition while the pro-democracy China's foreign ministry on
day. The results were seen and shut down access to bill in September that had camp has asked her to Monday summoned U.S.
as a public rebuke of her a major roadway under sparked the protests, she step down. Ambassador Terry Brans-
tough line on the protests. Hong Kong's harbor, setting also gave a detailed re- Protesters saw the extra- tad for a second time to
Lam, after issuing only a the toll booths on fire. sponse to the protesters' dition bill as an erosion of demand Washington block
written statement Monday, The Cross-Harbour Tunnel other demands, including their rights promised when the bipartisan legislation on
offered no concessions to will reopen Wednesday free elections for the city's the former British colony re- Hong Kong.q