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Hong Kong leader suspends divisive extradition bill ahead of further protests

More mass protests are expected today, forcing politicians to consider putting the bill on hold to “cool citizens down”.

LAST UPDATE | 15 Jun 2019

Hong Kong Extradition Law AP / PA Images AP / PA Images / PA Images

HONG KONG’S LEADER Carrie Lam has announced that an extradition bill will be suspended, following unprecedented clashes between police and protesters.

“After repeated internal deliberations over the last two days, the government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise,” chief executive Lam told reporters.

The city’s pro-Beijing leader has faced mounting calls to abandon the controversial legislation, including from her own political allies and advisers.

“I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind,” she said. “We have no intention to set a deadline for this work.”

Lam said she would “adopt a sincere and humble attitude in accepting criticism” over the government’s handling of the issue.

Hong Kong has been rocked by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

As criticism mounted – and signs emerged of a growing discomfort among party leaders in Beijing – local media in Hong Kong reported that Lam’s administration was planning to announce some sort of climbdown as it tries to find its way out of the political crisis.

Police use force against anti extradition bill protesters in Hong Kong, China - 12 June 2019 Chan Long Hei Chan Long Hei

She confirmed that the bill would be suspended during a press conference at 3pm (8am Irish time) – held at the same government complex that was besieged by protesters earlier in the week.

The SCMP said Lam held an emergency meeting last night with her advisers while Chinese officials were also meeting in the nearby city of Shenzhen to map a way out of the impasse.

Tensions are running high with protest organisers planning another mass rally tomorrow.

Protests In Hong Kong Over Extradition Bill Authorities stand on guard at the Legislative Council Complex after violent clashes between police and protesters. Jinhee Lee Jinhee Lee

Lam, who is appointed by a committee stacked with Beijing loyalists, had up until now refused to abandon the bill despite months of criticism from business and legal bodies – and a record breaking rally tomorrow where organisers said more than one million protesters hit the streets.

‘Lost credibility’

But she found herself facing growing calls from within her own political camp to reverse course and tamp down spiralling public anger – including from hardline pro-Beijing lawmakers.

“Shouldn’t (we) cool the citizens down? I think to postpone it for a little bit is not a bad thing. At this moment, the government should self-examine,” Ann Chiang, a hardcore pro-Beijing lawmaker, told i-Cable News.

But others have warned against Lam bending to the protesters.

“If the government caves in to violence and external influences, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable,” pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip told reporters.

Protest organisers have said they will only accept a full withdrawal of the bill, not a postponement.

James To, a lawmaker from the city’s pan-democrat camp, called on Lam to step down.

“The credibility of our chief executive has already been written off, it’s a kind of government that cannot have any credibility to rule anymore,” he told reporters.

Anti extradition law protest in Hong Kong, China - 12 June 2019 SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

Beijing has vocally supported the bill and earlier this week threw its full support behind the Lam administration, calling protesters “rioters”.

But it has since sought to distance itself as public anger spiralled.

“The central government gave no instruction, no order about the… amendment,” Lu Xiaoming, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, told the BBC.

This amendment was initiated by the Hong Kong government.

Last night, thousands of parents gathered in a park in the heart of the city’s commercial district to condemn the use of rubber bullets and tear gas against predominantly young protesters on Wednesday.

Y. Chan, a 50-year-old mother of two, said she was outraged watching the scenes unfold.

“It’s calling for all mothers who had enough already of what happened the other day,” she told AFP. “My kids were out there also that day. And although I want them to be safe, want them to be at home, but this is their home. They are defending it.”

© – AFP 2019

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    Mute Paula Mackie Senior
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    Jun 15th 2019, 7:48 AM

    What does it take for politicians to listen to the electorate? Do they not grasp the concept of democracy? Seems a worldwide problem. Beginning to think anarchy is preferable to the shambles politicians manage to create, all by themselves.

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    Mute Pat Lonergan
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    Jun 15th 2019, 7:51 AM

    @Paula Mackie Senior: Hong Kong is no democracy.

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    Mute Toomasu Sumitsu
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:15 AM

    @Paula Mackie Senior: in a true democracy with constitutional protections of human rights and civil liberties violence is unjustifiable. If you don’t like a policy or a government argue your case. Your issue isn’t with the government but your fellow citizens who disagree with you. In the case of Hong Kong civil disobedience would seem to be the answer for the moment. They aren’t a democracy and there is no legal recourse for the people to be heard. Where a government uses violence against its own citizens they can justifiably respond in kind. But a civil war is the worst case scenario.

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    Mute Toki Wartooth
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:47 AM

    @Paula Mackie Senior: sure, anarchy would be fantastic…

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Jun 15th 2019, 11:08 AM

    @Paula Mackie Senior: we have elections to sort our politicians out ..

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    Mute Robert Phelan
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    Jun 15th 2019, 5:08 PM

    @Paula Mackie Senior: protesting works well

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    Mute Tommy C
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    Jun 16th 2019, 2:01 AM

    @Robert Phelan: Not in China. Their perspective on Hong Kong would be a slowly slowly process of breaking it down from a liberal western thinking ideology to becoming mainstream China. China want this, people of Hong Kong know and fear this. China has the might and power to just take what they may feel is theirs but doing so will display contempt towards the west, their most lucrative market.

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    Mute G Manning
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    Jun 15th 2019, 7:41 AM

    Long term it’s almost certainly happening anyway but fair play to everyone protesting in Hong Kong.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:05 AM

    @G Manning: nonsense. If they couldn’t introduce it now despite every effort to do so and despite all the police brutality it won’t happen.

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    Mute Dan
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    Jun 15th 2019, 8:53 AM

    Massive result. People, parents, kids, lawmakers putting themselves on the line. Police also will need to look on how they fired rubber bullets into the crowds…

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:06 AM

    @Dan: lucky it wasn’t Beijing or they would have been facing bullets and tanks…

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    Mute Toomasu Sumitsu
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:25 AM

    They’re sending a clear message to Beijing. Maybe the Chinese will accept the status quo of one country two systems as perferable to having another Tiananmen Square. But they may just take the long term view the way the Chinese are very good at and chip away at Hong Kong’s identity, culture, language etc. until they can exercise full control and crack down on all political dissent with a minimum of fuss. I fear for the people of Hong Kong.

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    Mute tommytukamomo
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    Jun 15th 2019, 10:01 AM

    What is it with people.They walk , talk, eat , laugh, cry with us but they put a uniform on and behave like ruthless savages to others.
    All because an *elected* political figure that was voted into office needs to be protected from the people that voted for them.
    Just scratch the surface of mankind and the prehistoric Neanderthal comes out.
    We are truly a cancer on this planet and Mother Nature will eradicate us for her planet to survive.

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 15th 2019, 9:03 AM

    It’s like the water protests all over again. Paul Murphy would be in his element over there.

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    Mute Thomas Newell
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    Jun 15th 2019, 10:32 AM

    @Sean: fair play to them for standing up for something they believe in, and if it wasn’t for the water protests, we would all be forced to pay into a poxy private quango funding inflated wages, bonuses, perks and gyms without anything in return…

    32
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