Move FM Global News

HONG KONG, China – Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam in a significant backdown in the face of protests of millions of people, has withdrawn a controversial bill that would have seen some citizens deported to mainland China.

Lam until Wednesday had remained defiant despite the extreme unpopularity of the bill which drew protests to the streets that in recent days had threatened to get out of control.

“We must find ways to address the discontent in society and look for solutions,” Lam said in a a video statement released on Wednesday evening. “After more than two months of social unrest, it is obvious to many that this discontentment extends far beyond the bill.”

“No matter what discontentment the people have towards the government or the society, violence is not the way to resolve problems,” she said.

“Currently, stopping the violence is the top priority, maintaining the law and rebuilding the rules of society. The government will sternly tackle violence and illegal action.”

The news saw investors swarm the Hong Kong stock exchange, sending the main index, the Hang Seng, soaring more than 1,000 points, or 4% in value. At the finish most of those gains had been retained with the Hang Seng closing 995.38 points or 3.90% higher at 26,523.23.

Despite the major concession, other demands of the protesters including greater democracy for the province, and the creation of an independent tribunal to vet complaints against the police, got the thumbs down.

Investigations against Hong Kong police will continue to be carried out by the existing Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC).

Lam did however announce a restructure of the IPCC by naming a former education bureau chief and former judge as an additional appointee to the council, and indicating another appointment was in the works.

Lam was conciliatory in her statement, calling for a united Hong Kong. “Let’s replace conflicts with conversations and let’s look for solutions,” she said.

The unrest in the province began in April when the bill was first proposed. It was designed to allow the government to have people suspected of criminal activity to be deported to mainland China. Protests began, and they continued to build in numbers until June, when a million people marched against it. This resulted in Lam suspending the extradition bill, however more protests resulted as it meant the bill was being shelved, and could be re-introduced at any time.

Earlier in the week Lam was overheard in an audio tape leak saying that she wished she could resign and apologise. “If I have a choice, the first thing is to quit, having made a deep apology,” she said. “We were not sensitive enough to feel and grasp the huge degree of fear and anxiety amongst people of Hong Kong vis–vis the mainland of China.”

“For a chief executive to have caused this huge havoc to Hong Kong is unforgivable,” Lam said.

On Wednesday questioned about this, Lam ruled out resigning, saying she was not contemplating it.

Pro-democracy activist Nathan Law was quoted by the BBC as saying the withdrawal of the bill would not stop the protests.

“The movement has evolved into a movement that fights for autonomy, democracy and also preserving our way of life and restricting the excessive power of the police. So I think the protest will continue based on that,” he said.