Tempers flare over controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong Legco as opposition lawmakers shout profanity and call city leader Carrie Lam a liar
- Legco president Andrew Leung demands the removal of six lawmakers, including Claudia Mo, who said Lam was ‘lying through her teeth’
- Row erupts as Lam issues strongly-worded defence of extradition proposal, which will allow transfer of fugitives to any jurisdictions Hong Kong lacks a deal with – including mainland China
Opposition lawmakers shouted insults and a profanity at Hong Kong’s leader and called her a liar during a heated debate over a contentious extradition bill, ending with six of them being removed from the legislative chamber.
Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen’s decision to oust a pan-democrat after she accused Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor of lying drew severe criticism from the camp. They argued it deviated from previous practice and would limit free speech in the legislature.
The row erupted on Thursday when Lam issued a strongly-worded defence over the beleaguered extradition proposal, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to any jurisdictions which the city lacks a deal with – including mainland China.
Lam hit back at claims mainland China was deliberately excluded as a destination for fugitive transfers when the laws were overhauled before the handover and said opponents who suggested that were making “trash talk”.
But Claudia Mo Man-ching, who convenes the pro-democracy bloc, disagreed and shouted: “You are lying!”