Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam reiterated that her government would not set up an independent commission of inquiry to investigate police actions—a core demand that protesters have continually asserted since June.
At a press conference on Aug. 27, when asked by a reporter whether she would consider exercising the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to resolve the crisis—a law that grants the chief executive broad powers to make arrests, stop communications, and issue punishment during “occasions of emergency or public danger”—Lam’s vague response ignited debate among Hongkongers.
