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Hong Kong Students Reject Closed-Door Talks with City Leader

Associated Press

   HONG KONG - Student unions from two Hong Kong universities said Friday
   that they have turned down invitations from city leader Carrie Lam for
   talks about recent unrest over her proposal to allow the extradition of
   suspects to mainland China.

   The invitations followed a pledge by Lam to do a better job of
   listening to the voices of young people.

   Student leaders said at a news conference that they do not think Lam is
   being sincere. Her office invited them to closed-door meetings, but the
   students said any meeting should be public and include a wider
   representation than just them.

   ``A closed-door meeting does not have any witnesses to prove what was
   discussed, the public does not know what the dialogue was about,'' said
   Jordan Pang from the University of Hong Kong Students' Union. ``The
   public has the right to know.''

   Ng Yat Ming, the vice president of the Hong Kong University of Science
   and Technology Students' Union, said they would be condemned as
   traitors if they negotiated with Lam on behalf of the public.

   ``We believe it is a PR stunt,'' he said.

   Young people have taken the lead in protesting against the extradition
   legislation, which many see as a threat to the rights guaranteed to
   Hong Kong under the ``one country, two systems'' framework that governs
   the Chinese territory.

   Lam, who was appointed as Hong Kong's leader by a committee dominated
   by pro-Beijing elites, suspended the legislation indefinitely after a
   huge march against it on June 9 and then a June 12 demonstration that
   blocked access to the legislature and nearby streets.

   The protesters remain unsatisfied and have escalated their tactics.
   They are demanding the formal withdrawal of the extradition bill, Lam's
   resignation, the release of dozens arrested after the protests and an
   independent investigation into a police crackdown on the June 12
   protest that included tear gas and rubber bullets.

   One protester charged in connection with an hours-long siege by
   protesters of the police headquarters on June 21 appeared in court
   Friday, Hong Kong media reported. He was the first of those arrested to
   do so.

   Pun Ho-chiu is charged with assaulting eight police officers, damaging
   walls and escalators at police headquarters and behaving in a
   disorderly manner, public broadcaster RTHK said on its website. He was
   denied bail.

   Pun accused police of mistreating him while in custody, according to
   the media reports. The judge said the complaints are outside the
   court's mandate.

   On Monday, one group smashed through thick windows to break into the
   legislature building on a national holiday celebrating the return of
   Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997. They spray-painted slogans on
   the walls and damaged the fire prevention and electronic voting
   systems.

   The legislature has decided to suspend meeting until October for
   repairs to the heavily damaged complex.