Protesters cover their faces with posters of Chief Executive Carrie Lam during the march from Causeway Bay to the government headquarters in Admiralty. Photo: W. Wong

           JULY 5th 2019

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily

China Leaders Seek Negotiations With Student Union Protestors Over Extradition Bill

Carrie Lam; the Hong Kong Chief Executive, has asked to meet student protestors in the recently demonstration-rich city in an attempt to fend off some pressure after a month of protests objecting the debated law that would allow extradition to mainland China.
On Monday, which happened to be the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China after having formerly been a British colony, protesters had stormed the city’s legislature in further demonstrations. This event had followed mass protests lasting all of last month, against Lam’s proposed extradition bill, which many citizens and critics fear could see Hong Kong citizens sent for trial in the mainland and be the first step to impede on the city’s Westernised freedoms.
Lam, fully backed by Beijing, has put the bill into suspension temporarily. Protesters are, however, demanding a full and total withdrawal. A spokeswoman for Lam said on Thursday In an emailed statement that she had “recently started inviting young people of different backgrounds for a meeting, including university students and young people who have participated in recent protests”, further adding that the meeting would be held in a “small-scale and closed-door manner” to ensure an “in-depth and frank exchange of views”.
The offer had been turned down by the student union at the ‘Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’ (HKUST), one of eight major higher education institutions, explaining that the problem with the type of meeting which Lam had requested was its closed-door manner – an idea that brought about much contention with the union, who said in a statement published on Facebook that “The dialogue must be open to all Hong Kong citizens to participate, and allow everybody the right to speak.”
Jordan Pang, a leader of the Hong Kong University Students’ Union, said he would agree to the proposed meeting, but only if the government made promises not to go into investigations regarding the protesters involved in the demonstrations. “We don’t understand why she didn’t openly respond to the people’s demands but prefer to do it through a closed-door meeting. We want to ask if the government sincerely wants to communicate with young people or if it’s just another political PR show,” Pang said, in response to the offer.
Calls for the government to set up an independent inquiry to look into events on June 12th were renewed by the Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA). It was on said day of June 12th when police were reportedly firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters, a set of actions which had also been repeated on Monday when protestors stormed the legislature, injuring many.
“HKBA calls on the government to respond in a sincere way to the demands of the community voiced so emphatically over the past weeks,” the Hong Kong Bar Association stated. “A refusal to engage with the public over important and pressing issues is inimical to the rule of law.”
Hong Kong returned to China after its status as a British colony had ended under a “one country, two systems” formula, which allowed certain freedoms that were not to be had and enjoyed in the more Communistic mainland China, including a much-cherished independent judiciary, as well as the presently exploited freedom to protest. But many of the citizens in Hong Kong holds strong resentment to what they see as increasing interference by the mainland and the erosion of those freedoms. Beijing denies the charge.
In the recent weeks of demonstrations, students have echoed opposition calls for the withdrawal of the extradition bill many a times, and demanded that Lam step down and withdraw the bill. There is also a large demand for an investigation into complaints regarding the events of police brutality. They have also called for Lam to introduce genuine universal suffrage, as well as demanding that she stop labelling the numerous protesters as “rioters”.
 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily