Hong Kong leader rules out concessions, warns of economic downturn

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam warned Friday that two months of pro-democracy demonstrations were causing economic chaos in the city but ruled out making concessions to "silence the violent protesters".

The embattled leader met with business leaders as thousands of pro-democracy activists staged a sit-in at Hong Kong airport, hoping to win international support for their movement.

Lam, whose support for a bill to allow extradition to mainland China sparked the crisis, warned that the economic impact of the unrest threatened to be worse than the 2003 SARS outbreak in the financial hub.

"Compared to the economic downturn caused by SARS that we handled previously, which caused an economic storm, the situation this time is more severe," she said at an abruptly organised press conference.

"In other words, the economic recovery will take a very long time."
"We should do what is right for Hong Kong. And at this moment what is right for Hong Kong... is to stop the violence, and to say no to the chaotic situation that Hong Kong has experienced in the last few weeks, so that we can move on."
"Our democracy is not absolute, we have to fight for it," she said. "To see the population fight for democracy is very important."