Hong Kong: Amid protests, plans for law suspended

By Umar Idris

JAKARTA (AA) - Bowing to large protests, Hong Kong’s government on Saturday suspended controversial plans for an extradition law with China, reported local media.

At a press conference, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor acknowledged that her government had done a poor job selling the measure.

"I feel deep sorrow and regret that deficiencies in our work – and various other factors – have stirred up substantial controversies," Lam was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.

Using the words “stop” and “suspend” interchangeably, Lam was not clear when, of if, she would reintroduce the law.

The decision came in the wake of two massive waves of protests last week, one of which ended in violence, leaving as many as 80 Hong Kong residents injured.

Two organizers of the June 9 mass protest, the Civil Human Rights Front and the Confederation of Trade Unions, said they would return to the streets on Sunday.

The law applies to Hong Kong, Chinese, and foreign residents who live or are visiting the autonomous city. The law is feared to threaten the rule of law which underpins Hong Kong's financial status.