Say after seeing a fellow protester news. And fellow hong kong is committing suicide to protest against the stay with us on bbc news. Extradition bill, seeing other friends issued, injured and families its hardtalk with stephen sackur. Scared, i say that i am ready for welcome to hardtalk, all the consequences that may come with the fight we are now in stop im stephen sackur. In hong kong, Extraordinary Events it almost sounds like some people on have become the norm in the last three months. The front lines are now ready for the territory has become a cockpit martyrdom. Well, mr sackur, if you of political protest and sporadic violence as many thousands continue to demand democratic reform. Put yourself in the protesters position, particularly this my my guest is closer to the centre of generation of hong kong people, who the storm. Have never known life under the British Colonial rule, theyve only ever known life under the chinese rule, to see every day their anson chan was the chief secretary of hong kong during the handover freedoms and Civil Liberties eroded from british to chinese rule. By an sar government that does not beijing now accuses her defend two systems, and by beijings of fomenting the protests. Is hong kongs fragile status quo irretrievably broken . Which is intent on controlling and telling hong kong people despite the joint declaration and the basic law what little autonomy we give you is for us to give and take away. If you we re for us to give and take away. If you were in their shoes and you were fighting for your future, im sure you would do exactly the same thing and say, i am prepared to put my life on the line, because i am talking about my future stop but i come back to the instances of anson chan, in hong kong, welcome to violence, and of course much of the violence, and of course much of the violence weve seen on video has hardtalk. Thank you. Been perpetrated by the Hong Kong Police but some has been perpetrated in your city, we have seen three by protesters and demonstrators as months now of street demonstrations well. There was the infamous case of the video that showed the violent and protests. They have become beating of a man that appeared to be increasingly violent. Is your heart a chinese journalist at hong kong airport. That plays into a narrative and your head still with the protest that beijing is pushing but ultimately theres a terrorism at movement . Yes, very much so. I think it is a work in hong kong and they have a duty, working off course with the pity that there is escalating special Administrative Region government in hong kong, to quash violence, both on the part of the protesters, although involving a terrorism. You may be playing into very small number of people, but their hands. That may be so. I dont also on the part of the police. The police are increasingly brutal and agree with violence and i certainly unrestrained in exercise of their condemn violence. But i would point powers. But im very much behind the underlying causes of this movement. Out that the sar government in beijing have a very easy solution to it is about hong kongs fight to stop violence, and that is that you defend basic freedoms, civil have to listen to hong kong people. Liberties and to demand political which government, which responsible government refuses to listen to the prime participation through fair and open elections on the basis of one voices of 2 Million People taking to the streets . Thats a quarter of man, one vote. All of which promised hong kongs population. So if you in thejoint declaration man, one vote. All of which promised in the joint declaration and hong wa nt to hong kongs population. So if you want to stop the violence, the easy kongs basic law, the basic law way out is for beijing to allow our which is our mini constitution. Chief executive some latitude. It is youve just defined the protest futile to assert that one country, movements objectives in very broad two systems is working well when our terms, but it seems to me if i chief executive doesnt even have remember back to june the freedom to step down, to take terms, but it seems to me if i remember back tojune of this year, there was one very clear motivation responsibility, for this debacle. And demand for the demonstrators, and demand for the demonstrators, and that was to get the extradition youve labelled carrie lam as bill that appeared to be about to be incompetent and useless and being run effectively direct from beijing. Passed and which would have allowed, of course, criminals in hong kong, you clearly think she has no suspects, to the chinese mainland for trial. Credibility or legitimacy the Main Objective was to get that whatsoever. Well, mr sackur, those quashed, and now the chief executive are your words, those are not mine. Of hong kong, carrie lam, has withdrawn the bill. So why are i originally said forcing carrie to people still on the streets . Step down, who would step into her shoes . Since she has shown no well, first of all, carrie lam has only seeded after three months of indication of making some of the continuing protest to one of the very difficult positions to, as it five public demands. You have to were, lower the temperature and find a way through this current impasse, look at the underlying concern behind the peoples objection to the then she should make way for somebody else. Let me ask you this. There is no leadership at extradition bill. The extradition the moment. Effectively, hong kong, bill removes the firewall between at the moment, is a rudderless ship the legal system in hong kong under and the captain has left the bridge. The legal system in hong kong under the rule of law and the legal system well, let me ask you this. As it exists in the mainland. People everything you said to me so far, and the malign intent youve imputed felt that they were no longer even safe in their own beds because you could be extradited across the board to beijings commerce suggests to me that you now see china as the enemy to, face unfair trials, no legal of hong kong. But you, im very representation, trumped up charges mindful of the fact, served in that and made to confess to crimes you transition period under the british did not commit. Understood, madame colonial rule, but then you maintain chan, but the good news is its your high profile post under the first four years of chinese rule. Gone. This is a victory for you but you never used to beijing as the you dont seem to be prepared to enemy, so you never used to beijing as the enemy, so whats changed . First of ta ke you dont seem to be prepared to take victory for what it really is. All, i do not think that maligning thats why people are finding it ha rd to is quite the word i would use. I am thats why people are finding it hard to understand having one this victory you cant enter a dialogue simply pointing out facts. It is the and take your people off the streets. For a very simple reason. Case that in the publication of the first of all, this withdrawal has come very late in the, after three months of protest. The public white paper by the state council in 2014, beijings made it abundantly sentiment has moved from the clear that they have, and i quote, extradition bill to an even more comprehensive jurisdiction over serious matter, and that is an hong kong. Despite the assurances in the basic law. Furthermore, the enquiry, an independent enquiry by a white paper goes on to point out reputablejudge into enquiry, an independent enquiry by a that the judiciary part of the reputable judge into the enquiry, an independent enquiry by a reputablejudge into the root enquiry, an independent enquiry by a reputable judge into the root causes of this political crisis, administration, and therefore have to have regard to national unprecedented in hong kongs History Development and security interests. Since the handover, particularly at the excessive use of force by the now, this is completely contrary to the separation of powers that hong police. The government insists on kong believe in under the rule of entrusting this task through the law and the practice of the independent Police Counsel that is heavily loaded in favour of common law. Pro beijing members. It can only law and the practice of the commonlaw. To be blunt about it. Investigate Police Complaints and not the root causes of this current ido commonlaw. To be blunt about it. I do not regard beijing as an enemy, trouble, much less look into, for but i am bound to point out that when they stepped all over one example, even the protesters country, two systems and depart from their solemn promises, not only to increasing violence. There are their solemn promises, not only to the people of hong kong but the accusations of foreign interference. Whole International Community, then i have a duty to point that out. Well, an independent commission would look into that too. Listen to well. I take personal responsibility for this because i did lots of selling of the joint me. Besides that. Let mejust finish, let mejust me. Besides that. Let mejust finish, let me just finish. Declaration and the basic law in the me. Besides that. Let mejust finish, let mejust finish. There are two other demands. It may be run up to 1997 beyond. So i cannot difficult for the government to just simply stand by and see to systems disappearing under our very succeed. People are agitating for noses. You may say that you dont see political participation, universal beijing as the enemy but it seems to suffrage, something again that is enshrined in the basic law, our mini me beijing certainly analyses you as their enemy. If one looks at the constitution. It seems to me, and state press in china, Mainland China, you have been fingered as one you, after all, are a very experienced administrator and may i ofa china, you have been fingered as one say you have a reputation for being of a gang of four very senior hong something of a pragmatist, but it seems to me the Hong Kong Kong people who seem to be orchestrating the protest movement, demonstrators and protesters at large have moved from one very the highest legal enforcement body practical and specific objective to in china, the central political and a mentality of all out Legal Affairs commission has accused you and the other three of 14 deadly confrontation. Youvejust a mentality of all out confrontation. Youve just listed things there, including the push for sins including colluding with the us universal suffrage, that you know that beijing has no intention of and uk, and inciting young people in compromising on. Is it now your the city. Are you feeling intimidated and frightened right mentality that youre just going to now . You clearly do not know me and go foran mentality that youre just going to go for an all out confrontation . You do not know my experiences and well, if you look at the way this my history. But i hope you can see protest movement has developed, it is not true. It is simply not true and not borne out by facts that that this is all part of the state weve moved our goalposts. The quest propaganda machinery. And simply foran weve moved our goalposts. The quest for an independent of enquiry has because i dont hold the line and been there almost from the start. Say things tow the line and say things that they may not wish to the universal suffrage thing off and hear, they have mounted a smear on has been one of the public campaign, yes, intimidation, harassment, not just campaign, yes, intimidation, harassment, notjust only of myself but of my family members. But the demands, but this protest movement has reinforced in hong kong peoples minds that until and unless they more they do of this sort of smearing, the more they convince have the right to elect their own hong kong people that the only way they are going to have a future is to insist on the faithful leaders, and with the dysfunctional legislative council, where the pro beijing parties are in the implementation of two systems. Majority, people have no choice system that is entirely different from that in the mainland. Madame other than to take to the streets to jan, what do you mean by make their voices heard. This is intimidation . Intimidation . I have what the movement is all about. Been harassed in the streets, they i understand your objectives, but i have written a pack of lies about me am, ina i understand your objectives, but i am, in a sense, talking about the strategy of defiance. Now, in 2014, in u tube, and also, they give me far too much credit for being the prime mover behind this movement. I we saw people on the streets, many of them students, young people, with can tell you the protest, many are their colourful umbrellas and in the end they kept the demonstrations human other Young Professionals and going for a while. There was some highly intelligent, they do not listen to an elderly person like sort of a dialogue, which seemed myself. But i do share their pretty unsatisfactory, but ultimately they went home and got on with their daily lives. This time the mentality seems entirely motives. You clearly do and it is different. People arentjust also true that you have been duly the United States. You had a meeting carrying umbrellas, they are 00 08 58,138 4294966103 13 29,430 throwing molotov cocktails at times, with the Vice President , mike depends and you appealed to him for more active Us Engagement and support for the project is. You appeal to the British Government saying they have a duty given their historical role in hong kong, a legal and moral responsibility to deal with the current consequences. So you do what outside intervention ofa so you do what outside intervention of a sort, dont you . No, i wouldnt describe that as outside interference. Britain has a moral and legal responsibility to hong kong as the co signatory to the joint declaration. Britain, the United States, australia, canada and members of the eu are genuine stakeholders in hong kong. They have substantial investments in hong kong and they have the nationals living in hong kong. And they have a legitimate right to question when two systems is being eroded. But let us two systems is being eroded. But let us be honest, isnt it true that beijing holds all the cards here . It is going to be arguably the most powerful economy of the 21st century. Admittedly it is in the trade war with United States right 110w trade war with United States right now ultimately the International Community is hardly going to see it in its interest to make a major intervention in the hong kong crisis when it needs a very strong economic relationship with beijing. But i sincerely hope that britain, the United States and other International Communities are not simply going to capitulate and go on bended knees, simply because china is currently the world s second largest entity. The world has to face up to how they are going to engage in and deal with this rising china. And surely, it is in the interest of the world as a whole but also i suggest in the interest of my country, that china should increasingly, sooner rather than later, embrace some universal values, particularly respected respect for human dignity, mental rights and freedoms. That would be good for the nation as a whole and for the rest of the world. But if i may say so, madame chan. That is a very interesting proposition you put forward to me because it seems to me you are getting very close to say that you believe that the pro democracy demonstrations and protests in hong kong can be some sort of model to emulate some sort of inspiration for people in Mainland China and that you want what you are doing to be a message to people across the whole country of china. Aside you are really saying . Because that would be very inflammatory as inflammatory as far as the chinese president is concerned. Those are again, you always. What im saying to the extent that beijing allows hong kong genuine universal suffrage, and we are seeing seem to be making a success of liberal democratic hong kong, then, beijing officials might like to use the hong kong model in terms of developing a model of Representative Government that would suit the country s interests as a whole. You are entering very dangerous territory there, arent you . If beijing really does see hong kong as some sort of model, then surely the impulse from the president on down is going to be to ensure that your Pro Democracy Movement does not succeed. Well, im not forcing this upon Mainland China, im just saying that if we are seen to be making a success of this, surely it is also a success point successful point that beijing can make in terms of making the success of one country, two systems. When you say two systems. And the longer run, i hope that my country will learn to embrace some universal values. That is my hope. You say success but surely many people in hong kong will be looking at the current state of the economy with tourist numbers down dramatically, in august, as Anti Government protests have swept through the city. Credit ratings being downgraded, growth figures for hong kong being downgraded as well. They might support some of the principles you have outlined but they are going to be gravely concerned that the continued unrest is going to affect them very materially. In certain respects, yes, i would accept that perhaps the Tourism Industry is directly impacted because of tourists are afraid to come to hong kong in view of what has been described as riots. But overall, is a small, externally orientated oriented economy, hong kong cannot escape what is happening worldwide and surely, one of the main reasons for a slowing economy is the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and china. And there are other reasons. Its very convenient to blame middle of the protesters. Let me end with a big thought, there are others interviewed you have talked about the one country, two systems principle. Isnt the truth of the one country principle will always trump the two systems . As we s