Hong Kong student leaders reject chief’s offer to talk

Hong Kong, July 5 (IANS) A group of Hong Kong student leaders have rejected Chief Executive Carrie Lams offer of a private meeting about the recent protests over the now-suspended extradition bill, calling it "too little, too late", the media reported on Friday.

The student leaders from the University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Chinese University on Thursday confirmed the government had invited them for a dialogue through the schools' administration, but said they rejected the offer, reports the South China Morning Post.

The provisional executive committee of HKUST's student union said it had turned down the request, which it received on Wednesday, straight away.

"We do not want it to be just a public relations stunt," said Jacky So Tsun-fung, President of Chinese University's student union.

"We will only consider it after the government addresses our demands."

The government's overture came after hundreds of mostly young protesters stormed the city's legislature on Monday night, writing slogans on the wall, defacing Hong Kong's official emblem and smashing equipment, furniture and work areas.

Among the protesters' demands were for Chief Executive Lam to fully withdraw the now-suspended extradition bill and to order an independent inquiry into the use of force by police during clashes on June 12.

Jacky described the government's move as "too little, too late".

He said public opposition to the bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which the city had no extradition agreement, was made clear long ago.

"They could have asked for such a dialogue well before the crisis erupted in June," the South China Morning Post quoted the student leader as saying, adding that no further details of the meeting had been provided.

A spokeswoman for the Chief Executive's Office said Lam had invited young people from different backgrounds to meet, including university students and those who took part in recent demonstrations, in an effort "to listen in depth and communicate frankly".