Carrie Lam, the front runner in Hong Kong’s chief executive election, angered grassroots protesters Friday when she walked away and left a forum through a back door instead of taking their petition as promised.
As long as there is no universal suffrage, Hong Kong cannot have a real democracy. Article 39 of the Hong Kong Basic Law and the two Conventions protect the people's right to self-determination, and the people have the right to vote in referendums on any public issue. The people of Hong Kong should adhere to the two conventions and stage a referendum to decide their future. Otherwise, when dictatorship becomes a reality, it will be the duty of the people to resist. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development.