HONG KONG: More than 100 people blocked a Hong Kong government building yesterday in protest against proposed legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China that they want scrapped.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, saying she had heard the protesters “loud and clear”, this month postponed the bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to the mainland for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.
The activists, mostly students, are demanding the bill be withdrawn, the government drop all charges against those arrested in recent protests and stop referring to the demonstrations as a riot, which could potentially lead to heavier jail terms.
“It’s inconvenient but I support it,” a South African businessman who declined to be identified said of the protest at the skyscraper inland revenue building near the heart of the financial centre.
The former British colony of Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, since when it has been governed under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows it freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including freedom to protest and a much-cherished independent judiciary.
The bill has seen millions of people, fearing a continual, drip-drip erosion of those freedoms, clog the streets in protest and plunge the city into political crisis, with many questioning the ability of Lam to govern.
The protesters plan another demonstration tomorrow to raise awareness among world leaders attending the Group of 20 nations summit in the Japanese city of Osaka this week.
Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Jun said yesterday that China would not allow the G20 nations to discuss Hong Kong at the summit.
“What I can tell you for sure is that G20 will not discuss the Hong Kong issue. We will not allow G20 to discuss the Hong Kong issue,” Zhang said.
The Civil Human Rights Front, organiser of the mass protests, is gearing up for an annual pro-democracy march on July 1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to Beijing. The group has called on people to turn out in force.
Beijing has said it supports Lam’s decision to suspend the extradition bill, but has been angered by criticism from Western capitals, including Washington, about the legislation.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged Hong Kong authorities yesterday to “consult broadly before passing or amending” the extradition bill or any other legislation.
The extradition bill triggered the most violent protests in decades when police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds earlier this month. – AFP
