Gov’t Suspends Fugitive Bill Work

Following the recent uproar caused by the proposed legislative work by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her colleagues, the political atmosphere in the country has yet to fully settle down.

Because of this sudden unrest, many sectors of society have expressed their concerns over their safety and the stability of their positions and jobs in the country. Bearing this in mind, the government has decided to put on the brakes concerning the hotly debated proposed law that would allow extraditions to mainland China, where concerned individuals from Hong Kong could fall victim to a different legal system.

Gov’t Puts Fugitive Bill Work ‘Indefinitely’ on Hold

Drawing violent responses and disapproval from the public, the government has decided to suspend the fugitive law amendment exercise and will restart its communication over the bill with all sectors of society, as shared in a report by news.gov.hk.

According to the proponent of the bill, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam explained that the government put forward the legislative proposal to find a way to deal with the Taiwan murder case and address deficiencies in the Hong Kong legal system.

Despite the polarised views on the bill, Mrs. Lam noted that the government has made many attempts to narrow differences and eliminate doubts.

However, due to the clamour and serious conflict which took place last week, the government decided to defer the legislative work behind the proposed bill, to evaluate the situation for the greatest interest of Hong Kong, including restoring calmness in society as soon as possible and avoiding any more injuries to law enforcement officers and citizens.

On the government’s position on the work needed to progress the bill, Mrs. Lam said, “I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind to heed comprehensively different views in society towards the bill.”

With the legislative proceedings concerning the bill being suspended until the government completes its work in communication, explanation, and listening to opinions, the government as it originally intended, still maintains that it will not set a deadline for this work and promise to report to and consult members of the LegCo Panel on Security prior to making its next step forward.

Commenting on the unfortunate turn of events and negative response from the public, the Chief Executive stressed that the original purposes of the legislative amendment exercise stem from her and her team’s passion for the city and their empathy for its people.