Hong Kong leader to announce withdrawal of extradition bill - media report

[webfact]

Hong Kong leader to announce withdrawal of extradition bill - media report

 

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam holds a news conference in Hong Kong, China, August 27, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam is expected to announce later on Wednesday the formal withdrawal of a proposed extradition bill that sparked three months of protests in the Chinese-ruled city, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unnamed sources.

 

Other local media outlets also reported on a possible withdrawal of the bill. The chief executive's office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

 

The withdrawal of the bill, which would have allowed Hong Kong citizens to be sent to mainland China to face trial, is one of the main demands of pro-democracy protesters who have plunged the former British colony into its deepest crisis in decades.

 

(Reporting by Farah Master; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-04

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[webfact]

Hong Kong leader to meet protesters' demand to withdraw extradition bill

By Farah Master and James Pomfret

 

Police officers assist a man saying he is a Chinese tourist outside the government headquarters during a general strike in Hong Kong, China September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will announce on Wednesday the formal withdrawal of an extradition bill that triggered months of unrest and has thrown the Chinese-controlled city into its worst crisis in decades, Cable TV and other media said.

 

A government source confirmed the reports to Reuters.

 

The protests in the former British colony began in June over the bill, which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China where courts are controlled by the Communist Party, but have since evolved into a push for greater democracy.

 

It was not immediately clear if the announcement, due later on Wednesday, would help end the unrest.

 

The chief executive's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index <.HSI> jumped after the report, trading up about 3.3%. The property index also jumped 6 percent.

 

The withdrawal of the draft legislation was one of the protesters' key demands. Lam has said before that the bill was "dead" but she did not withdraw it.

 

Hong Kong returned to China under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows it to keep freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, like the freedom to protest and an independent legal system, hence the anger at the extradition bill and perceived creeping influence by Beijing.

 

Reuters revealed in an exclusive report on Monday that Lam told business leaders last week she had caused "unforgivable havoc" by introducing the bill and that if she had a choice she would apologise and resign, according to a leaked audio recording.

 

At the closed-door meeting, Lam told the group that she now has "very limited" room to resolve the crisis because the unrest has become a national security and sovereignty issue for China amid rising tensions with the United States.

 

Lam's remarks are consistent with a Reuters report published on Friday that revealed how leaders in Beijing were effectively calling the shots on handling the crisis.

 

INJURIES

The Chinese government rejected a recent proposal by Lam to defuse the conflict that included withdrawing the extradition bill altogether, three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

 

Asked about the report, China's foreign ministry said the central government "supports, respects and understands" Lam's decision to suspend the bill. The Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the Communist Party's official People's Daily, denounced it as "fake".

 

China has regularly denounced the protests and warned about the impact on Hong Kong's economy

 

China denies it is meddling in Hong Kong's affairs but warned again on Tuesday that it would not sit idly by if the unrest threatened Chinese security and sovereignty.

 

The unrest had shown no sign of easing by Tuesday night.

 

Riot police fired beanbag guns and used pepper spray - both anti-riot weapons - on Tuesday to clear demonstrators from outside the Mong Kok police station and in Prince Edward metro station, with one man taken out on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face, television footage showed.

 

Videos showing the man being apprehended by the police in the station have been widely shared on social media with protest groups and activists saying it is evidence of the police brutality they say is widespread and needs to be investigated.

 

The police, who have repeatedly denied using excessive force, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hong Kong police are due to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. (0800 GMT).

 

Three men, aged between 21 and 42, were taken to Kwong Wa Hospital late on Tuesday, a hospital authority spokeswoman said.

 

Two, including the man stretchered out of Prince Edward station, were in a stable condition and one had been discharged, she said.

 

(Reporting by Twinnie Siu, Jessie Pang, Noah Sin and Farah Master; Writing by Joe Brock and Nick Macfie; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-04

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[SammyT]

A fantastic result. <deleted> China and their overbearing and oppressive tactics. 

[Odysseus123]

Now there's a people with guts,courage and determination.

 

True grit.

[SammyT]

32 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Now there's a people with guts,courage and determination.

 

True grit.

Agreed, for all people love to whinge and moan about young people of today, these protestors showed balls and won the battle of attrition, despite being battered and doused with pepper spray. An absolute blood nose for China

[losworld]

However, it's a small victory. China will next employ its tracking system and facial recognition system and use snooping much like the NSA to find those protesters.  It will simply add the extradition bill at a later date.

[Thailand]

Maybe the Thai's will learn something from this.

 

Find some balls and stand up to the oppressors when necessary,doubt it though, apathy is the order of the day here.

[Thaifriends]

Pro democracy, what a filth!

They were like ants during governor rule of Chris Patten and no democracy was given to them. Ask a kid and reply will be the same.

[DrTuner]

Small victory. Keep the pressure on, 24/7/365. Seems the commies blinked. Aim for full independence and nothing less.

Edited September 4, 2019 by DrTuner

[snoop1130]

Hong Kong leader kills bill but some say too little too late

By Farah Master, James Pomfret

 

A news conference of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam is televised in Hong Kong, China, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday withdrew an extradition bill that triggered months of often violent protests so the Chinese-ruled city can move forward from a “highly vulnerable and dangerous” place and find solutions.

 

The announcement, live on television, came after Reuters reports on Friday and Monday revealed that Beijing had thwarted an earlier proposal from Lam to withdraw the bill and that she had said privately that she would resign if she could, according to a leaked audio recording.

 

“Lingering violence is damaging the very foundations of our society, especially the rule of law,” Lam said in her address on Wednesday.

 

The withdrawal, a key demand of protesters, came after unrest that drove the former British colony to the edge of anarchy as the government repeatedly refused to back down - igniting pitched battles across the city of seven million, the arrests of more than 1,000 protesters, and leaving a society deeply divided.

 

Many are furious at perceived police brutality and the number of arrests - 1,183 at the latest count - and want an independent inquiry.

 

“The government will formally withdraw the bill in order to fully allay public concerns,” Lam said.

 

“I pledge that the government will seriously follow up the recommendations of the IPCC’s (Independent Police Complaints Council) report. From this month, I and my principal officials will reach out to the community to start a direct dialogue ... we must find ways to address the discontent in society and look for solutions.”

 

The protests began in March but snowballed in June and have since evolved into a push for greater democracy for the city which returned to China in 1997.

 

The bill would have allowed extraditions to mainland China where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.

 

It was not immediately clear if the bill’s withdrawal would help end the unrest. The immediate reaction appeared skeptical and the real test will be how many people take to the streets.

 

“This won’t appease the protesters,” said Boris Chen, 37, who works in financial services. “In any kind of time, people will find something they can get angry about.”

 

One woman, Pearl, 69, said the protests were no longer about the bill.

 

“Some of those guys may change their minds, maybe, but just a minority,” she said of the protesters. “Some of them just want to create trouble and they will continue to do so.”

 

“Too little, too late,” said Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 pro-democracy protests which were the precursor to the current unrest, on his Facebook page.

 

The chief executive’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill’s withdrawal.

 

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI jumped after the report of the bill's imminent withdrawal, trading up about 4%. The property index also jumped.

 

Lam had said before that the bill was “dead”, but she did not withdraw it.

 

The protesters’ other four demands are: the retraction of the word “riot” to describe rallies, the release of all arrested demonstrators, an independent inquiry into the police perceived brutality and the right for Hong Kong people to democratically choose their own leaders.

 

CHINA’S WARNINGS

 

Hong Kong returned to China under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows it to keep freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, like the freedom to protest and an independent legal system, hence the anger at the extradition bill and perceived creeping influence by Beijing.

 

China denies it is meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs but warned again on Tuesday that it would not sit idly by if the unrest threatened Chinese security and sovereignty.

 

China has regularly denounced the protests and warned about the impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

 

Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK) has been one of the biggest corporate casualties.

 

China’s aviation regulator demanded it suspend staff from flying over its airspace if they were involved in, or supported, the demonstrations. The airline has laid off at least 20 including pilots and cabin crew.

 

The airline on Wednesday announced the resignation of chairman John Slosar, following the departure of CEO Rupert Hogg last month.

 

The unrest has shown no sign of easing.

 

Riot police fired beanbag guns and used pepper spray - both anti-riot weapons - to clear demonstrators from outside the Mong Kok police station and in Prince Edward metro station, with one man taken out on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face, television footage showed.

 

The police, who have repeatedly denied using excessive force, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-04

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[NokNokJoke]

Don't celebrate yet.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[rkidlad]

Well done to the people of Hong Kong who fought so hard for this. 

 

 

[sweatalot]

4 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

just a minority,” she said of the protesters. “Some of them just want to create trouble and they will continue to do so.

talking doen the real reasons

I guess they want more democracy 

I wish them well

but I am afraid their opponent is far too big and vicious

Edited September 4, 2019 by sweatalot

[JamesBlond]

Politicians hate riots. Teargas in the streets is a symptom of deep political failure.

Incidentally, there are distinct parallels between Hong Kong/China and the UK/EU. HK & UK wants its own identity. China & EU have punitive economic power. Britain next for the riots, if Brexit is blocked.

[Morch]

22 minutes ago, JamesBlond said:

Politicians hate riots. Teargas in the streets is a symptom of deep political failure.

Incidentally, there are distinct parallels between Hong Kong/China and the UK/EU. HK & UK wants its own identity. China & EU have punitive economic power. Britain next for the riots, if Brexit is blocked.

 

"Britain next for the riots, if Brexit is blocked."

 

It was nonsense when aired on the UK topic, and this iteration is  no better.

Same goes for equating UK-EU relations to China-HK relations.

 

And, of course, topic isn't even about the UK or Brexit.

[sirineou]

Lam needs to resign, and be replaced with someone who  holds the confidence of both the protestors and Beijing .

IMO she will resigning soon.

Edited September 4, 2019 by sirineou

[thaibeachlovers]

IF she follows through and China doesn't impose direct rule; Chinese glove puppet nil, people 1

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, sirineou said:

Lam needs to resign, and be replaced with someone who  holds the confidence of both the protestors and Beijing .

IMO she will resigning soon.

IMO she is doing whatever her masters tell her to do, so no, she won't. Remains to be seen which of us are right, though.

Her boss may decide to try a different glove puppet anyway.

[harada]

And now the "disappearances " will start. 

[Catoni]

Surprised to see many Hong Kong protestors carrying the U.S. flag in the streets during the protests, and also many carrying the old English Union Jack flag. 

    Obviously no love for mainland communist China. No love for Marxist socialism

  They’re smarter and wiser than many university professors and leftist elites in the west. 

[Almer]

10 hours ago, JamesBlond said:

Politicians hate riots. Teargas in the streets is a symptom of deep political failure.

Incidentally, there are distinct parallels between Hong Kong/China and the UK/EU. HK & UK wants its own identity. China & EU have punitive economic power. Britain next for the riots, if Brexit is blocked.

Yes i also think the UK is in for a turbulent time 

[samran]

China will just kidnap people it wants and take them to the mainland. No need for this law which was already a facade of what they were doing anyway.

[Proboscis]

15 hours ago, NokNokJoke said:

Don't celebrate yet.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Absolutely!

 

In Western countries we all remember the fall of the Berlin Wall but we forget the Prague uprising and the original Polish uprising. Both were firmly put down. China is not on its last legs as the Soviets were trying to match the USA in the arms race.

[Roadman]

17 hours ago, NokNokJoke said:

Don't celebrate yet.

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Correct. There is a group within the protest riot mob who are already voicing they will not be happy with the bill being withdrawn and will go on rioting for demands that will never be met and for their own now out of control lust. They have been given what is reasonable. From here on it is where the real rubber mets the road. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by Roadman

[Caldera]

13 hours ago, JamesBlond said:

Incidentally, there are distinct parallels between Hong Kong/China and the UK/EU. HK & UK wants its own identity. China & EU have punitive economic power. Britain next for the riots, if Brexit is blocked.

That really is an outlandishly ridiculous comparison. The UK's failure to withdraw from the EU is a domestic matter; the previous government failed to pass the agreement it had negotiated with the EU and the current government lost its majority in the Commons outright. There are many things that the EU deserves blame for, this is not one of them.

 

The EU didn't appoint fools such as TM and Boris to their jobs either. China, on the other hand, did have a hand in bringing that Lam woman into office.

[yellowboat]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“Lingering violence is damaging the very foundations of our society, especially the rule of law,” Lam said in her address on Wednesday.

She violated the rule of law.  She is to blame.   She has at least admitted as much.  Hong Kongers feel betrayed by the police, the government, the wealthy and the famous.  Trust in Hong Kong will not bounce back anytime soon.