Advertisement
Opinion | How to defuse the extradition crisis: start by fixing Hong Kong’s social ills and end with democracy
- By trying to wait out the storm, Chief Executive Carrie Lam is making another error of judgment. An inquiry into the police’s response to protesters would ease tensions but, in the long run, Hong Kong’s government must be legitimised by a democratic election
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Hong Kong’s extradition bill protests have caught the world’s attention. The scale and impact of the demonstrations are unprecedented in the city’s history. If Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor fails to defuse the political bomb immediately, she will no longer be able to lead the city.
The demands of the 2 million protesters are clear. They have urged Lam to resign, and they want the government to completely withdraw the extradition bill, retract the characterisation of the protest on 12 June as a riot, release arrested protesters and drop charges against them, as well as launch an investigation into the police’s actions.
Given that the government has put the bill on hold and stopped characterising the protest as a “riot”, the protesters have succeeded to some extent. The focus of the movement has now switched to bringing to justice the police officers who they claim used excessive force on protesters.
Advertisement
It was alarming to see thousands of protesters surrounding the police headquarters. If the administration fails to address their grievances, the protests are likely to escalate.
Lam has said the police has a well-established mechanism to deal with complaints – the Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO) and the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC). Her comments indicate that the government is not taking the situation seriously, given that people do not see these mechanisms as effective.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x