Mass protests continued in Hong Kong as it prepares to debate a controversial extradition bill that would give China more power over the territory
Mass protests continued in Hong Kong on Tuesday night
and into Wednesday as the Legislative Council of the semi-autonomous territory
mulls a controversial bill, which would allow for the extradition of criminals
to mainland China.
The bill was
brought about after a 19-year-old Hong Kong resident allegedly murdered his
pregnant girlfriend while on vacation in Taiwan but fled back home and could
not be extradited to face trial.
Critics say
the bill would subject Hong Kong residents to unfair trials in China and would
encourage China’s encroachment on the semi-autonomous region.
Mass protests
continued in Hong Kong on Tuesday night and into Wednesday afternoon as the
government of the territory considers a controversial bill, which would allow
for the extradition of Hong Kong residents to mainland China.
The bill was
set to be debated by Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Wednesday, though the
council’s president Andrew Leung said the meeting would be delayed to a later
time, as protesters blocked key roads leading to the building, Bloomberg said.
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The bill
would allow Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China for trial,
and it came about after a 19-year-old Hong Kong resident allegedly murdered his
pregnant girlfriend while on holiday in Taiwan last year, the BBC said. The man
fled back to Hong Kong but could not be tried in Taiwan as an extradition
treaty between the territories does not currently exist.
Critics say
the bill would subject Hong Kong residents to unfair trials in China and would
encourage China’s encroachment on the semi-autonomous region, which was allowed
to keep its independent legal system after being handed back by the British in
1997.
Hundreds of
thousands of protesters took to the streets beginning on Sunday in one of the
largest protests the country has seen in years.
Protests
continued into the week. Scores of protesters camped overnight in Tamar Park on
Tuesday, and on Wednesday they blocked major roads leading to the legislature,
South China Morning Post said. By the afternoon, the protest ballooned into the
financial district.
Hong Kong
Police Force encouraged protesters to dissipate and said that they would use
force against if necessary. Pepper spray was used by police on some protesters,
Bloomberg reported.
Despite
backlash, Hong Kong leaders have still signaled that they plan to pass the
bill. Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has said the bill will help maintain
justice in the region, and proposed amendments address human rights concerns.
On Tuesday
night local time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement standing with
the protesters.
“The
extradition bill imperils the strong U.S.-Hong Kong relationship that has
flourished for two decades,” the statement said. “If it passes, the Congress
has no choice but to reassess whether Hong Kong is ‘sufficiently autonomous’
under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework.”
“The House
stands united with Senator McConnell, the Administration and all who have
denounced this dangerous extradition legislation,” Pelosi’s statement
continued. “America stands with the people of Hong Kong.”
READ FULL NEWS : https://usacnnnews.com/2019/06/12/mass-protests-continued-hong-kong-prepares-debate-controversial-extradition-bill-give-china-power-territory/
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