Major Concession That's Too Late

Carrie Lam gave a wooden performance and sported a new hairdo today

After lunch we were shocked to find out Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was going to say the W-word -- withdraw the extradition bill.

The shock announcement was followed by disappointment

Was this really true? It was confirmed by a government source and she made a prerecorded message that was broadcast just before 6pm.

However, in the video her hairstyle was very different from the day before, and she acted and sounded like a robot, going through the motions.

There was no apology or sincerity, just an attempt to reason with protesters that violence was not the answer.

Lam said she will formally withdraw the bill when the Legislative Council resumes in October, and that the government-endorsed Independent Police Complaints Council will include two more members in it to make it more objective.

Protesters say Lam's concessions are not enough

She and her senior officials will start dialogues with the different communities and hear what people have to say, acknowledging there are serious political, economic and social deep-rooted problems.

While withdrawing the bill is a huge concession on her part -- and getting Beijing to agree to it is massive -- for most protesters, this is too little too late.

Many on social media have said this is like going to a restaurant and ordering four dishes and a soup, and only the soup arrives -- cold.

The hard core protesters continue to press for all five demands, whereas moderates are pushing for withdrawing the bill and an independent inquiry into police brutality.

Hang Seng Index did rise over 800 points, how about more?

Will this divide protesters? Not really because the latter aren't happy with Lam's current proposal of continuing to use the IPPC to investigate the police. The protests will continue, but will they continue to be violent? That will be revealed this weekend.

So it's a start, but a start to a long journey ahead that should have been taken almost three months ago. Better late than never, but at what cost?

Carrie Squanders Opportunity

Carrie Lam addressing the media this morning... with not much to say

OH CARRIE, HOW COME SO LITTLE, SO LATE?

After 11 weeks of peaceful protest marches involving millions of people, and then violent clashes with police who fired over 1,800 rounds of tear gas, triad mobs mercilessly attacked innocent people with sticks in Yuen Long and a young medic was shot in the eye by a beanbag round, you only NOW offer to have a platform for dialogue?

"All my principal officials and I are committed to listening to what people have to tell us," she said. "I think it is a very sincere expression of my hope to have dialogue with various sectors of society."

It seems millions out protesting doesn't mean much to Lam

Why not say this 11 weeks ago, or at least after June 16, when 2 million people marched peacefully on the streets?

And anyway what has she been doing for all this time? Hasn't she been reading what's been said online?

Oh wait -- maybe Lam doesn't have the internet installed at Government House, which is why she believes "black hands" have helped young protesters become so organized.

In any event, she was scant on details on how this platform of dialogue would happen. Will she really meet with young protesters on the front lines, or just the kids with the right backgrounds? Is she aware that in visiting certain neighbourhoods she could be pelted with eggs?

Someone hand her a helmet.

Lam also rejected calls for an independent investigation into police brutality, and instead said that an investigation by the government-run Independent Police Complaints Council would be sufficient to look into allegations of police misconduct.

Jimmy Sham wonders about Lam's sincerity for dialogue

Another collective groan.

Many believe Lam is squandering an excellent chance to garner good will from the protesters. We're not talking about the 1,000 or so "radical" ones but several million people who have marched in teh past 11 weeks, including this past weekend in the torrential rain.

"The peaceful march on Sunday was one of the few opportunities that Hongkongers offered Lam to address their calls, but unfortunately, the five demands are again dashed," said front convenor Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit. "Is Lam really sincere about having dialogue?"

Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a political scientist at Chinese University believes protesters have lost trust in her and may see the dialogue as a delaying tactic.

Again Lam refused to withdraw the extradition bill, saying there was "no plan to revive this, in light of the public's concern".

Anthony Neoh says Lam should withdraw the extradition bill

Other than the millions of people who have come out to protest this core issue, top elites in Hong Kong have called for the chief executive to withdraw the bill, including senior lawyer Anthony Neoh, who heads the IPPC.

He has said in an interview published today that the protesters' demand of withdrawing the bill was "eminently reasonable".

"It is only dead int he mind of the government because the government has undertaken not to revive it. That is not the way to withdraw legislation," Neoh said.

So Carrie, the ball is still back in your court.

ARE YOU LISTENING?