No unacceptable demands in HK dialogue: China Daily editorial

Responding to the violent incidents in Hong Kong over the weekend, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the special administrative region, promised on Tuesday that her government will do its utmost to build a dialogue platform with the public.

It is a positive sign that the SAR government remains open to hearing public opinions and is still willing to have a dialogue with Hong Kong society. Yet it is sad that she had to reiterate the administration's zero tolerance toward violence and unlawful acts, due to the continuing attacks on police officers and the vandalizing of public facilities and stores over the weekend, despite the olive branch that has been offered.

Which means there is still a big gap between those disturbing public order and Lam's plan. A gap that appears to be unbridgeable, since her administration will by no means swallow the pills the demonstrators prescribe, as it will directly shake the foundation of the "one country, two systems" framework and threaten China's sovereignty over the city.

Which is why she stressed that the administration will not accept the demands of the demonstrators. Indeed, the demands are so divorced from the reality of Hong Kong being a special administrative region of China that one can't help but wonder what's their underlying motivation. Especially, given the double standard of countries such as the United States and Britain, which was once again displayed at the G7 summit.

Given the forceful responses to such rioting in these countries, her administration has been criticized in some quarters for adopting a pussyfoot approach to the disturbances. But restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.

The scale of the disruptions has downsized dramatically in recent days, as more and more Hong Kong people realize that genuine concerns are being hijacked by those intent on promoting agendas other than those that have the SAR's best interests at heart.

For any dialogue to be fruitful, it needs to involve only those who genuinely want the best for the city. Those who are simply intent on causing trouble or advocate criminal acts, for whatever reason, should be excluded.

The police should collect and analyze the video of the illegal protests and violent incidents over the past two months, and identify and hold accountable those who have committed any criminal acts. And to put an end to the chaotic situation, the city's courts should do their duty as the last defender of the rule of law and public order, and show no leniency when punishing those guilty of any law-breaking behavior.

All reasonable minds should know that sympathy with rioters only makes the sympathizers themselves the fuelers of further violence.