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Hong Kong authorities have officially withdrawn a bill of extradition from the Legislative Council that has caused the most unrest in the history of the former British colony, said local security minister John Lee on Wednesday.
Addressing the parliamentarians, John Lee admitted that the extradition bill provoked “protests in the community,” and was therefore recalled. However, at the same time, he refused to answer questions from representatives of the opposition, who were trying to find out whether the authorities intend to fulfill other demands of the protesters. Protesters are also pushing for an independent commission to investigate police actions, and they also demand amnesty for those arrested during the protests, as well as the introduction of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and the resignation of unpopular local administration head Carrie Lam.
The Hong Kong authorities decided to get rid of the main irritant in society after another protest that swept the metropolis last Sunday. To disperse them, the police used tear gas and sprayed blue paint from water cannons, accidentally spilling ink on gates of the main mosque in Hong Kong. In connection with the incident, Carrie Lam had to visit the mosque and apologize to the imam.
A widely publicized publication in the Financial Times, reporting that Beijing allegedly intended to dismiss Carry Lam, was disavowed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. “These are rash political rumors. The central government will provide strong support to Carrie Lam and the Hong Kong administration, and help ensure that the authorities of the Special Administrative Region restore law and order as soon as possible,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
As a result, the reconciliation gesture by the Hong Kong administration did not cool the passions. The comments of activists of the protest movement that appeared on Wednesday on social networks indicate that they took the withdrawal of the bill on extradition exclusively as a tactical maneuver of the Carrie Lam administration and intend to continue the fight.
source: time.com
Addressing the parliamentarians, John Lee admitted that the extradition bill provoked “protests in the community,” and was therefore recalled. However, at the same time, he refused to answer questions from representatives of the opposition, who were trying to find out whether the authorities intend to fulfill other demands of the protesters. Protesters are also pushing for an independent commission to investigate police actions, and they also demand amnesty for those arrested during the protests, as well as the introduction of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, and the resignation of unpopular local administration head Carrie Lam.
The Hong Kong authorities decided to get rid of the main irritant in society after another protest that swept the metropolis last Sunday. To disperse them, the police used tear gas and sprayed blue paint from water cannons, accidentally spilling ink on gates of the main mosque in Hong Kong. In connection with the incident, Carrie Lam had to visit the mosque and apologize to the imam.
A widely publicized publication in the Financial Times, reporting that Beijing allegedly intended to dismiss Carry Lam, was disavowed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. “These are rash political rumors. The central government will provide strong support to Carrie Lam and the Hong Kong administration, and help ensure that the authorities of the Special Administrative Region restore law and order as soon as possible,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
As a result, the reconciliation gesture by the Hong Kong administration did not cool the passions. The comments of activists of the protest movement that appeared on Wednesday on social networks indicate that they took the withdrawal of the bill on extradition exclusively as a tactical maneuver of the Carrie Lam administration and intend to continue the fight.
source: time.com