Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says the controversial bill that would have allowed extradition to the Chinese mainland is “dead”.
“What I said today is not very different from before, but maybe people want to hear a very firm response … the bill has actually died,” the chief executive of the city-state said in a statement. “So people won’t need to worry that there will be renewed discussions on the bill in the current legislature.”
The statement came after weeks of unrest in the city, in which millions of residents took to the streets to demonstrate against the bill that would allow the extradition of individuals to mainland China.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some of the protests involved violent clashes with police. On 1 July, hundreds of activists stormed the city's legislature, vandalizing and occupying it for several hours before retreating in the face of a police clearance.
Lam added that she felt “heartbroken” over the conflict caused by the proposed law, which she described as a “total failure”. However, she stopped short of saying it had been withdrawn completely.
“We suspended it and we have no time table, we reiterate that when the current legislature ends, i.e. July next year, it will be automatically expired,” she said.
Political opponents have already expressed their dissatisfaction with the status of the legislation. “The bill is dead is a political description and it is not legislative language,” Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung told the BBC.
“We have no idea why the chief executive refuses to adopt the word withdraw,” he added.
Lokman Tsui, who teaches journalism at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, wrote on Twitter: “If it’s dead for all purposes, then why not just say the words and officially withdraw it? Carrie is just playing a PR game at this point.”
Yesterday, Hong Kong activist and pop star Denise Ho clashed with a Chinese representative to the UN as she urged the international community to stand up for Hong Kong's democratic rights. CNN reports that China's delegation interrupted Ho's speech twice by raising procedural motions.
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How climate change poses a national security threatThe explainer A global problem causing more global problems
-
The 5 best TV shows about the mobThe Week Recommends From the show that launched TV’s golden age to a Batman spin-off, viewers can’t get enough of these magnificent mobsters
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
