In a set of four actions announced on Wednesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced that the controversial extradition bill would be formally withdrawn from legislature, with the Secretary for Security to move a motion when the Legislative Council resumes
In addition, Lam announced that two new members had been appointed to the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC). In response to the protester’s demand of an independent inquiry into police brutality, Lam said that would be unnecessary as such matters would be best handled by the “well-established” IPCC.
Lam also announced that she and her Principal Officials would reach out to the community for a “direct dialogue” in order to “find ways to address the discontent in society and look for solutions”.
Finally, Lam said that she would invite “community leaders, professions and academics to independently examine and review society’s deep-seated problems and to advise the Government on finding solutions”.
Lam’s announcement was greeted by a strong upswing in Hong Kong stock markets, which the Hang Seng Index gained four per cent in its single biggest daily percentage gain since November 2018.
One of the protest’s organisers, the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), however, has said that the movement would continue, reiterating its stance of “five demands, not one less”.
The five demands of the movement include withdrawing the extradition bill, setting up an independent commission of inquiry into police brutality, amnesty for protesters (of whom 1,183 are estimated to have been arrested), a halt to the government’s categorisation of the protests as riots and the implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
Another protest group which calls themselves the “Guardians of Hong Kong” have said via Telegram that “Tragedy will repeat itself if the system stays unchanged. We are not giving up after months of protests,” according to the South China Morning Post.
Protests in Hong Kong began on March 31, 2019, over the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019, which would have required those convicted of a crime in Hong Kong to be sent to the Chinese mainland for their prosecution.
