Hong Kong chief says extradition bill could be dropped amid row
● Apology rejected from city leader ● Civil servants join in with rallies
Kong pro-democracy lawmakers and activists have rejected a new apology by the city’s leader over a highly unpopular extradition bill, demanding she quit and the legislation be scrapped completely.
Carrie Lam’s plea for “another chance” drew a chorus of criticism, though members of pro-beijing political parties and her Cabinet, the Executive Council, expressed their support.
Some activists said if the government did not meet those and other demands by a deadline of 5pm tomorrow, they plan a mass “resistance movement”.
That would follow a peaceful, but rousing march Sunday by some two million people worried the legislation would further compromise the dwincy dling autonomy of the former British colony.
Asked repeatedly for a reassurance that she was dropping the bill that would allow some Hong Kong suspects to be tried in mainland Chinese courts, Beijing-appointed Ms Lam would only say she would not revive the bill without certainty of its acceptance.
“In recognition of the anxiety and fears caused by the bill in the last few months, if we don’t have confidence from the people we will not proceed with the legislative exercise again,” Ms Lam said.
“I will not proceed with this legislative exercise if these fears and anxieties could not be adequately addressed.”
With the latest round of protests behind them, Hong Kong legislators were due to meet today.
A proposed vote of no confidence by pro-democracy politicians was on the agenda, but they are outnumbered by pro-beijing members. Officials were also due to be asked about complaints of police brutality against some protesters.
Claudia Mo, a pro-democrahong member of the city’s Legislative Council, called Ms Lam’s appearance before news media yesterday as “completely unacceptable”.
“She refused to address the demands of the entire Hong Kong community,” Ms Mo said, noting Ms Lam herself admitted the remaining three years of her term would likely be “very, very difficult”.
Ms Mo said “we will fight on as usual within and without the legislature for Hong Kong’s true democracy campaign”.
Joshua Wong, a dissident who joined the protests on Monday after his release from a one-month prison term related to his involvement in demonstrations in 2014, said: “Not only is this apology not sincere, it is fake.
“We need to point out that Carrie Lam has created a governing crisis.”
Mr Wong said while he was behind bars some prison staff, who are government civil servants, told him they had joined recent protest rallies.
Many in Hong Kong fear a further weakening of the territory’s legal autonomy at a time when Communist-ruled China is growing increasingly authoritarian.
Samson Yuen, a professor at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said the extradition bill was like a “knife at the throat” for many in Hong Kong.
“There’s a lot of energy, emotion and passion and also anger,” he said. “It’s a total mobilisation of society.”
The bill has ignited several large protests, including the huge march on Sunday and another of as many as one million people a week earlier.
Police used tear gas, steel batons and rubber bullets to subdue protesters during scuffles outside the government headquarters last Wednesday. Some protesters staged “resistance” efforts in a nearby subway station.
It is unclear how much patience the majority of Hong Kong residents would have for more such disruptions.
The protesters have also demanded apologies for forceful tactics used by police and reassurances those involved in the earlier protests would not be charged with “rioting,” which can carry a jail sentence of up to ten years.