{"id":644078,"date":"2019-06-23T08:28:20","date_gmt":"2019-06-23T08:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"
\"Hong<\/p>\n
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\"Hong<\/div>\n

Hong Kong\u2019s government has suspended a proposed law that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China for trial after mass protests.<\/p>\n

The controversial measure has been shelved indefinitely by the embattled territory\u2019s chief executive Carrie Lam in response to an angry public backlash.<\/p>\n

Many in the former British colony feared it would further erode legal protections and freedoms promised by Beijing when it took control in 1997.<\/p>\n

There were also concerned it could be used to target critics of the Chinese regime.<\/p>\n

The climbdown on the proposal came ahead of a further major opposition rally on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents have taken to the streets in earlier demonstrations, with protests turning violent on Wednesday, ramping up pressure on Ms Lam to back down.<\/p>\n

Announcing the suspension, she said: \u201cThe original urgency to pass the bill in this legislative year, is perhaps, no longer there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a repeated internal deliberation over the last two days, I now announce, that the government has decided to suspend the legislative-amendment exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Lam added: \u201cI want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind to heed comprehensively different views in society towards the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Promising the measure would be put on ice \u201cuntil our work in communication, explanation and listening to opinions is completed\u201d, she said: \u201cWe have no intention to set a deadline for this work.\u201d<\/p>\n

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