《TAIPEI TIMES》 HONG KONG: Lam says bill ‘dead,’ but protesters vow to press on

QUESTION OF LAW: Two protest leaders said they could not find the word ‘dead’ in the territory’s laws or Legco proceedings. They called for a probe into police tactics

/ AP, HONG KONG

Protest leaders opposed to the administration of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam （林鄭月娥） yesterday said they would continue their demonstrations, even after Lam declared the effort to amend a highly contentious extradition bill “dead.”

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Protesters are persisting in their demands for the bill to be formally withdrawn and an investigation opened into heavy-handed tactics used by police against demonstrators.

Hundreds of thousands have joined the month-long protests, expressing growing concerns about the steady erosion of civil rights in the territory.

“We cannot find the word ‘dead’ in any of the laws in Hong Kong or in any legal proceedings in the Legislative Council [Legco],” Civil Human Rights Front convener Jimmy Sham （岑子傑） and co-convener Bonnie Leung （梁穎敏） said in statements in English and Cantonese.

“So how can the government tell us that we should preserve our rule of law, when [Lam] herself does not use the principle of the rule of law,” they said.

The protest leaders also said Lam was being hypocritical in claiming to have met demonstrators’ demands without actually speaking to them directly.

“Instead, she should really stand out and talk to the young protesters,” Leung said. “The young protesters have been out in the street outside her house, outside government headquarters, for weeks, roaring to be heard.”

Details about future protest actions would be announced at a later time, Leung said.

Lam acknowledged at a news conference earlier in the day that there were “lingering doubts about the government’s sincerity or worries about whether it would seek to bring the legislation back for a vote.”

“I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead,” she said.

As for the demand for an independent investigation into alleged police abuse of force against demonstrators on June 12, when officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds blocking major streets, Lam said that investigations would take place under the Department of Justice “in accordance with the evidence, the law and also the prosecution code.”

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES