A concession to Hong Kong

Extradition Bill withdrawal may not stop protests

In a concession to protesters who have repeatedly taken over the streets of Hong Kong, the territory’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, has finally withdrawn the controversial legislation that sparked the protests. The Bill, which permitted extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China, was widely opposed because the city’s residents feared that it would be used to trample upon their remaining political rights, and subject them to the capricious and authoritarian legal system of the People’s Republic. Ms Lam had earlier “suspended” the Bill, but that was not enough for protesters who wanted it withdrawn completely — a concession that both