Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing urges love in response to growing protests (updated)

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16/08/2019 05:11

* Hong Kong tycoon Li urges love, tolerance amid growing
protests
    * 'The best cause can lead to the worst results' - Li
    * More pro-democracy protests planned for weekend
    * Ten weeks of protests pose major challenge for Chinese
leader Xi
    * Many businesses back embattled Hong Kong leader Lam  

 (Adds Li Ka-shing quote, paragraphs 12-13; adds bullet points)
    By Donny Kwok and Twinnie Siu
    HONG KONG, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's richest man, Li
Ka-shing, urged people to "love China, love Hong Kong and love
yourself" on Friday in his first public comments on the
escalating pro-democracy protests that have disrupted the city
for weeks and challenged China. 
    Li's message in front-page advertisements in major
newspapers in the Asian financial hub urged the public to "cease
the anger with love" and "stop the violence". The advertisements
were signed "a Hong Kong citizen Li Ka-shing". 
    Ten weeks of confrontations between police and protesters
have plunged Hong Kong into its worst crisis since it reverted
from British to Chinese rule in 1997, and have presented the
biggest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jingping since
he came to power in 2012.
    China has likened the increasingly violent protests to
terrorism and warned it could use force to quell them, as U.S.
President Donald Trump urged Xi meet protesters to defuse the
tension.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N25B02Q
    More mass demonstrations are expected through the weekend.
Police tactics against protesters have been hardening and Li,
91, warned that "the best cause can lead to the worst results". 
 
    More than 700 people have been arrested since the protests
began in June, and tear gas has frequently been used by police
in attempts to disperse protests across the city.
    A rally called "Stand with Hong Kong, Power to the People"
is planned in the central business district on Friday night.
That event has permission from authorities but police have
banned other protests planned for the weekend. 
    A march planned for Sunday by the Civil Human Rights Front,
which organised the million-strong marches in June, has only
been allowed an assembly in Victoria Park on Hong Kong island
because of safety concerns.
    The group is appealing against the police decision.
    Another march planned in Kowloon's Hung Hom district on
Saturday has also been banned.
    
    'UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES'
    Li, who formerly chaired CK Hutchison Holdings  0001.HK ,
did not make any reference to supporting the government or its
embattled leader Carrie Lam in the advertisements, which
encouraged freedom, tolerance and the rule of law.
    However, a statement issued later by a spokesman quoted Li
as saying "the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions.
We need to be mindful of unintended consequences". 
    He said it was important to invest in the younger generation
to bear fruit for the future and for Hong Kong.  
    "The young always fear the future has nothing to do with
them," Li's statement said. "I think the government heard the
messages from the protesters loud and clear and is diligently
racking their brains now for solutions."
    Many businesses, including other major property developers, 
have publicly backed Lam's administration and the city's police
force.
    Research firm Capital Economics warned on Thursday the
protests could push Hong Kong into a recession, with a risk of
capital flight. Hong Kong's property market, one of the world's
most expensive, would be particularly hard hit, it said.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N25B17Z 
    Lam sought in a Facebook post late on Thursday to clear up
what she said was a misunderstanding about parts of a speech
last week. 
    She had referred to protesters as having no stake in Hong
Kong's society in comments that provoked a backlash and fuelled
further unrest. However, Lam said she meant to say "we all have
a stake in Hong Kong".

 (Reporting by Donny Kwok and Twinnie Siu; Writing by Farah
Master; Editing by Paul Tait)
 ((farah.master@thomsonreuters.com; +852 28431631 ;))