Hong Kong Leader Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Monday to still push ahead with extradition bill which will allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China.
Carrie Lam’s decision not to withdraw the extradition bill comes a day after Hong Kong largest protest ever since its handover in 1997 from British to Chinese rule.
Sunday’s protest in Hong Kong saw more than a million people in Hong Kong protest against the extradition law, which critics fear may allow China to target political opponents and have them extradited to mainland China.
“We realise that our communication and explanation work has to continue, whether throughout the Legislative Council scrutiny process or even after the enactment of the bill” Carrie Lam said according to a video found on www.news.gov.hk website.
“This is a very important piece of legislation that will help to uphold justice and also ensure that Hong Kong will fulfil her international obligations in terms of cross-boundary and transnational crimes.”
Carrie Lam said the additional human rights safeguards will have a legal binding effect and the Government will only surrender a fugitive when guarantees are fully met.
Carrie Lam also thanks every citizen in Hong Kong who expressed a view whether or not that agree or disagree on the extradition bill.
“I want to thank every one of you, because the concern of every citizen about the work that the Government is doing, and this scrutiny of our work, is an important factor to enhancing good governance in Hong Kong.”
