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.”
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