Hong Kong Government to Withdraw Contentious Bill

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, will soon order her government to formally withdraw the extradition bill that has resulted in months of violent demonstrations.

An unnamed government source has confirmed that the embattled 62-year-old politician is following due procedure to have the bill scrapped and will announce their course of action soon.

The former British colony exploded with protests when the bill – which would enable the government to extradite criminals to the Chinese mainland – was tabled in June.

The protests have led to strong calls for more democracy in Hong Kong, whilst others have demanded that Lam resign and step aside for a more transparent and credible leader.

A leaked audio recording revealed that Lam had told business leaders in a closed-door meeting last week that introducing the bill had invoked “unforgivable havoc”.

She also added that it left her with “very limited” space to navigate the political fallout as it meant security and sovereignty issues for China, whilst tensions continue to rise with the United States.