Hong Kong's Carrie Lam says she 'never tendered resignation to Beijing'

"If I have a choice, the first thing is to quit," she said during a closed-door meeting. While denying that she wanted to quit, the leader did not deny the authenticity of the media coverage. The head of the executive promises greater dialogue with the protesters.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Hong Kong has now entered the 14th consecutive week of protests, but Carrie Lam has never thought of resigning. This was stated by the head of the former British colony's executive, denying an audio recording that was circulated yesterday.

It contains some statements made by a person that the international media refer to as Ms. Lam. ", having made a deep apology, is to step down,” the voice says during a closed-door meeting. While denying that she wanted to quit, the leader did not deny the authenticity of the audio.

Published by Reuters, it was recorded during a meeting with businessmen that the head of the executive attended last week. In the audio the alleged Ms Lam is heard blaming herself for triggering the political crisis in the Territory, saying it is "unforgivable"  to have caused "such great chaos".

 "The political room for the chief executive who, unfortunately, has to serve two masters by constitution, that is the central people's government and the people of Hong Kong, that political room for maneuvering is very, very, very limited," the voice says on the tape." In the audio it is also revealed that China does not have a deadline by which it intends to solve the crisis and that Beijing will not send troops to end the protests.

This morning, during a weekly meeting with the media, Carrie Lam spoke about the audio defining "completely unacceptable" that private observations had been recorded and made public. "I have never tendered a resignation to the Central People's Government," the chief executive told reporters. "I have not even contemplated to discuss a resignation with the Central People's Government."

Ms. Lam also denied the rumors that she or her government "played a role" in the publication of the indicted audio, to regain sympathy and restore some of the public support lost in recent weeks. The head of the executive said her government is "very anxious" about the violence in the city and believes that "most people in Hong Kong do not want to see it". "So our common goal is to stop this violence, so that society can soon return to peace," she said, promising to work towards more dialogue with protesters..

Since last June, numerous mass protests have taken place in Hong Kong. The were triggered by a controversial extradition bill. With the government project now cancelled, rallies have evolved into a broader movement demanding  democratic reforms and an investigation into police brutality. The demonstrations often resulted in clashes between police and activists, with injuries on both sides.

So far, authorities have arrested 1,117 people. Last weekend, some of the worst violence between protesters and police forces occurred. The protesters launched Molotov cocktails, started fires and attacked the parliament building; the police resorted to tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. Police also fired warning shots with lethal bullets.

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