Hong Kong protesters reject leader Carrie Lam offer to start a dialogue

Protesters rebuffed Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's offer to start a dialogue as a "trap" yesterday, eclipsing hopes that a return to peaceful protests at the weekend might prove a turning point for the territory after weeks of unrest.

Mrs Lam, who spoke to reporters before the weekly Executive Council meeting yesterday, proposed a "platform for dialogue with people from all walks of life" in a move seen as a bid to capitalise on the calm to heal the huge rift between the protesters and her government.

But she stopped short of agreeing to protesters' demands for an independent inquiry into police conduct. Instead, she offered to have overseas experts roped into a fact-finding study conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC).

"One is an important fact-finding study in addition to a very robust system to investigate and look at the complaints against police over this prolonged period of confrontation and violence. The other, a more rare arrangement, is for the IPCC, which is statutory and independent, to create a fact-finding study into the causes and the facts of these incidents," said the leader.

She noted that the study would provide her government with recommendations on how to move forward and also to avoid a repeat of current tensions. The IPCC, a civilian body, can make recommendations to the government but cannot directly investigate complaints or summon witnesses.

Mrs Lam's offer was instantly rejected by protesters.

Mr Wong Yik-mo, vice-convener for the Civil Human Rights Front - the group behind the biggest marches that have taken place over the past three months - dismissed Mrs Lam's promised platform for dialogue as a waste of time and money.