HONG KONG—Chief Executive Carrie Lam is set to withdraw the widely unpopular China extradition bill that sparked a tumultuous summer of unrest in the city, people familiar with the matter said.
The concession will meet one of five demands from the opposition movement and is likely aimed at weakening support for the protests from the wider population, though it isn't clear how successful the move will be in reducing the tensions that have gripped the city for three months.
Protests against the bill in June led Mrs. Lam to suspend the legislation—which would have allowed citizens to be sent for trial in mainland China’s opaque justice system—but her failure to formally scrap the proposal has fueled mass peaceful protests and more violent hard-core activists who have clashed with police.
What Hong Kong Protesters Want
The protests have now morphed into a broader opposition movement with additional demands, including an inquiry into the Hong Kong Police Force’s handling of the demonstrations and calls for greater democracy, which has angered Beijing.
Hong Kong stocks jumped on reports of the planned legislation withdrawal. The city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 4% on Wednesday, its biggest one-day gain since November.
Mrs. Lam’s move is likely aimed at turning the tide of public opinion that has seen her approval ratings and satisfaction with the government hit record lows since China regained sovereignty over the former British colony in 1997.
Last week, Mrs. Lam told people at a private meeting that the unrest had become a national security and sovereignty issue for Beijing. That, she told attendees, limited her options in trying to end the political crisis, according to a leaked audio recording obtained by Reuters. The comments suggested a rift with officials in Beijing who have taken a tough stance against opposition voices, labeling the more radical violent protesters terrorists and revolutionaries.
At a Tuesday briefing, a spokesman for Beijing’s top body overseeing Hong Kong affairs said it was important for people to distinguish between peaceful protests and “violent crimes and activities challenging ‘one country, two systems,’” under which Hong Kong was promised 50 years of semiautonomy; its citizens have more freedoms than mainland Chinese citizens do.
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The unrest has torn a hole in Hong Kong’s economy, dented its reputation as an international finance center and a safe place to do business. Retailers and tourism have been sharply hit and a number of the city’s biggest companies—including developers and the city’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. —are feeling the pain after being dragged into the conflict.
Thousands of workers went on strike this week and university students and high school schoolchildren across the city boycotted classes and staged playground protests, dashing government hopes that the opposition movement would peter out once school started again.
Mrs. Lam’s refusal to use the word “withdrawal” had angered many. She suspended the bill June 15, but a mass rally demanding she withdraw the bill a day later drew a record turnout of two million people, according to organizers’ estimates. In July, Mrs. Lam said the bill was “dead,” although opposition groups said without a formal withdrawal, the city’s legislature could quickly revive it for a reading and vote.
After local media reported the withdrawal, thousands of protesters took to the social media app Telegram to say the concession wasn’t enough and they would continue to push for all their demands.
How effective the move will be at reducing tensions remains to be seen. Many people in the city are weary of the unrest that has closed subway stations, the city’s airport and hurt businesses. Yet anger at authorities has risen as police have been criticized for heavy handed treatment of protesters and local officials have been accused of turning deaf ears to society.
At near-daily protests in the city, demonstrators chant “five demands! Can’t even have one less!” In addition to the bill’s withdrawal and an investigation into police conduct, protesters also want a removal of a “riot” designation for a demonstration on June 12, amnesty for all who have been arrested since early June and greater democracy, a demand that analysts believe is unobtainable at this time.
Street occupations in 2014, demanding universal suffrage in the election of the city’s leader, fizzled out without any concessions from Beijing.
—Joyu Wang and Steven Russolillo contributed to this article.
Write to Natasha Khan at natasha.khan@wsj.com
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-to-withdraw-china-extradition-bill-11567582875
2019-09-04 08:15:00Z
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