Hong Kong ‘Suspends’ Renditions Bill as Campaigners Insist on Total Withdrawal

Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam on Saturday announced the suspension of her government’s bid to change the city’s extradition law to allow renditions to mainland China, but organizers of recent mass protests said the concession was unacceptable, and that a demonstration planned for Sunday would go ahead.

“After repeated internal deliberations over the last two days, I now announce that the government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise, restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more explanation work and listen to different views of society,” Lam told a news conference on Saturday.

“The [Legislative] Council will halt its work in relation to the bill until our work in communication, explanation and listening to opinions is completed. We have no intention to set a deadline for this work,” she said.

However, Lam stopped short of complete withdrawal of the bill, and continued to justify police use of rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray as a necessary means to restore “order.”

The Civil Human Rights Front, which organized a million-strong peaceful protest against the proposed legal amendment last Sunday, said Lam’s concession was unacceptable.

Full story: rfa.org

Reported by RFA’s Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.