Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam Withdraws Controversial Extradition Bill
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she will withdraw the highly controversial extradition bill which triggered months of protests and threw the Chinese-ruled city into its worst crisis in decades.
“The government will formally withdraw the bill in order to fully allay public concerns,” Ms. Lam said in a video statement released via her office.
The proposal, introduced in April, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Opponents said it would undermine Hong Kong's legal freedoms and might be used to intimidate or silence critics of the Communist Government in Beijing.
The protests against the bill in the former British colony began in March but snowballed in June and have since evolved into a push for greater democracy.
But it is not clear whether the protests would be halted as rolling back Extradition Bill is just one of the five demands put forth by the protestors.
The proposal, introduced in April, would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Opponents said it would undermine Hong Kong's legal freedoms and might be used to intimidate or silence critics of the Communist Government in Beijing.
The protests against the bill in the former British colony began in March but snowballed in June and have since evolved into a push for greater democracy.
But it is not clear whether the protests would be halted as rolling back Extradition Bill is just one of the five demands put forth by the protestors.
Demonstrators are also demanding amnesty for those arrested, greater political reforms and for officials to stop describing the protests as riots.5. In short, Carrie Lam's repeated failure in understanding the situation has made this announcement completely out of touch - She needs to address to ALL Five Demands: STOP PROSECUTION, STOP CALLING US RIOTERS, INDEPENDENT INQUIRY OF POLICE and FREE ELECTION!
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) September 4, 2019
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