HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday will announce the formal withdrawal of an extradition bill that triggered months of unrest and has thrown the Chinese-controlled city into its worst crisis in decades, Cable TV reported.
The protests in the former British colony began in June over the bill, which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, but have since evolved into a push for greater democracy.
It was not immediately clear if the announcement, which the South China Morning Post newspaper said was due later on Wednesday, would help end the unrest.
However, the chief executive’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The withdrawal of the draft legislation was one of the protesters’ key demands. Lam has said before that the bill was “dead” but she did not withdraw it.
Hong Kong returned to China under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows it to keep freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, like the freedom to protest and an independent legal system.
(Agencies)
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