Hong Kong Leader Chief Executive Carrie Lam on 15 Jun 2019 Saturday has announced at a press conference to indefinitely suspend extradition bill which will allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China.
“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.” said Carrie Lam at the press conference.
This announcement comes after Wednesday’s violent clashes (on 12 Jun 2019) between police and protesters, after tens of thousands protesters surrounded the city’s government headquarters, which resulted in riot police using pepper spray , rubber bullets and tear gas to push the protesters back.
On 09 Jun 2019, more than a million people in Hong Kong march through the country to protest the extradition bill.
The extradition bill, which will cover residents living in Hong Kong and foreign and Chinese nationals living or traveling in Hong Kong, has many concerned it may threaten the rule of law that underpins Hong Kong’s international financial status.
According to a report by South China morning post, Hong Kong Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) intends to proceed with Sunday’s march despite government suspension of the extradition bill.
The group also called on Carrie Lam to step down from her post, calling her attitude “arrogant, ignorant and indifferent” towards public outcry of the extradition bill.
