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Hong Kong officially withdraws controversial China extradition bill

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had proposed the amendments to resolve a case involving a man wanted for murder in Taiwan who could not be sent to the self-ruled island because there was no extradition agreement in place.

Hong Kong officially withdraws controversial China extradition bill

(Photo: IANS)

Hong Kong on Wednesday formally withdrew controversial China extradition bill that had been sparked over 20 weeks of protests and civil unrest pitching the island nation in a political turmoil.

According to Hong Kong Free Press, the move comes a week late due to protests at the Legislative Council during the Chief Executive’s policy address.

The rallying cry of the protesters, who have trashed public buildings in the Chinese-ruled city and thrown petrol bombs at police, has been “five demands, not one less”, including universal suffrage.

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had proposed the amendments to resolve a case involving a man wanted for murder in Taiwan who could not be sent to the self-ruled island because there was no extradition agreement in place.

Scrapping the bill meets one of the protesters’ five key demands, but activists have vowed not to yield until the government fulfils all of them.

They also include an independent inquiry into allegations of police brutality during the protests, the unconditional release of those detained, not labelling the protests as riots, and direct elections for the city’s leader.

Earlier on Tuesday, China was planning to replace Lam as the city’s chief executive while citing people briefed on the deliberations, which would bring to a close Lam’s rule after months of pro-democracy protests, according to reports.

Lam has become a lightning rod for sweeping protests over fears that Beijing is tightening its grip and limiting the freedoms enjoyed under the “one country, two systems” principle enshrined when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997.

Earlier in the month, Lam had introduced a ban on people wearing masks at public rallies, colonial-era emergency legislation that has not been used in more than half a century.

The controversial China extradition bill was withdrawn in early September but the movement has morphed into a wider campaign for greater democracy and against alleged police brutality.

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