Government insiders reveal why it took Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam three months to withdraw hated extradition bill
- Following meetings, first with city leaders, then about 20 young people, Lam was told addressing protesters’ top two demands would help broker dialogue
- But other sources say the move has come too late, will fail to pacify the public and has even angered some of Lam’s closest political allies
To withdraw or not withdraw, that is the question the Hong Kong government took nearly three months to answer.
Six days after an estimated 1 million people took to the streets on June 9 to oppose the extradition bill, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor suspended the ill-fated legislation but refused to withdraw it. Then, on June 16, an estimated 2 million protesters again went out to march against the much-despised legislation.
Since then, the city has been rocked by protests and Lam continued to stick to her guns, standing firm as the lady was “not for turning”, to rekindle the steely utterance of the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
But it was only in the last three weeks that the beleaguered Hong Kong leader changed her mind. And it was after listening to the nearly unanimous calls from various groups, including political and community leaders, to withdraw the bill, sources told the Post.
A source familiar with the government’s position said for the chief executive to withdraw the bill showed her sincerity in trying to forge a dialogue platform with various sectors to find a way forward for the city, a consultative outreach she announced in August.