{ "id": "IN11165", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "number": "IN11165", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 604760, "date": "2019-09-10", "retrieved": "2019-09-16T22:07:04.688546", "title": "Hong Kong Chief Executive Lam to Withdraw Extradition Bill; Protests Continue", "summary": "Hong Kong\u2019s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced on September 4, 2019, that she will formally withdraw the controversial extradition bill that touched off three months of large-scale protests across the city. While acknowledging Lam\u2019s concession, various groups that support the ongoing protests have stated they intend to continue to organize demonstrations until Lam and the Hong Kong government comply with the protesters\u2019 \u201cfive demands\u201d in full (see text box). On September 8, 2019, tens of thousands of people gathered outside the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong urging the U.S. Congress to pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (H.R. 3289, S. 1838). (See Figure 1.)\nThe Protesters\u2019 \u201cFive Demands\u201d\n1. Formally withdraw the extradition legislation.\n2. Drop all charges against arrested protesters.\n3. Retract the proclamation that protests were \u201criots.\u201d\n4. Establish an independent investigation into police brutality.\n5. Implement the election of the Chief Executive and all Legco members by universal suffrage.\n\nThe Hong Kong Extradition Bill and Protests\nOn April 3, 2019, Lam submitted to Hong Kong\u2019s Legislative Council (Legco) proposed amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance (FOO) that would permit (among other things) extradition of alleged criminals from Hong Kong to mainland China (see CRS In Focus IF11248, Hong Kong\u2019s Proposed Extradition Law Amendments). Large-scale demonstrations on June 9 and 12 led Chief Executive Lam to announce on June 15 the suspension of consideration of the bill. On June 16, protesters gathered in even larger numbers, calling for formal withdrawal of the bill. \nSince then, large-scale, largely peaceful protests, as well as sometimes violent confrontations between the Hong Kong police and more militant protesters, have occurred in various parts of Hong Kong every week. The protesters see the proposed amendments as part of the continuing erosion of \u201cthe high degree of autonomy\u201d the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was promised in the Joint Declaration, an international treaty that transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China on July 1, 1997. \nLam and other HKSAR officials have repeatedly proclaimed the protests to be \u201criots.\u201d The Hong Kong police have used more than 2,300 rounds of tear gas and arrested nearly 1,200 people in an effort to end the demonstrations. A consensus emerged among the protesters that Lam and the HKSAR government must comply with \u201cfive demands\u201d mentioned previously. \nLam\u2019s Statement\nOn September 4, 2019, Lam stated her government \u201cwill formally withdraw the bill in order to fully allay public concerns.\u201d She also said that she and her senior officials \u201cwill reach out to the community to start a direct dialogue,\u201d and \u201cwill invite community leaders, professionals, and academics to independently examine and review society\u2019s deep-seated problems.\u201d \nWhile the withdrawal fulfills the first of the five demands, Lam indicated that she will not comply with the other four demands. Early in her statement, Lam said \u201cmatters relating to police enforcement actions are best handled by the existing and well-established Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC),\u201d obviating the need to establish an independent investigation into alleged police brutality. Regarding the dropping of charges, she stated, \u201cthis is contrary to the rule of law.\u201d On use of the word \u201criot,\u201d she asserted that such a categorization has no legal effect as it is up the Department of Justice to determine what crime may have been committed. On the fifth demand, Lam indicated that current circumstances are not suitable for adoption of universal suffrage. \nResponse of Protesters\nVarious groups supporting the protests dismissed Lam\u2019s statement. Legco\u2019s pro-democracy coalition leader Claudia Mo Man-ching characterized Lam\u2019s statement as \u201ctoo little, too late.\u201d Umbrella Movement leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung said, \u201cIn the face of police brutality ... the protest by Hongkongers will continue even if the extradition bill is withdrawn.\u201d At the Citizens Press Conference, masked representatives of more militant protesters stated:\n[P]lease do not think this government has backed down, because it certainly has not. It is just seeking to create confusion, attempting to distract and escape accountability.... [A]pplying a band-aid months later onto rotting flesh will simply not cut it.\nFollowing Lam\u2019s statement, spontaneous protests arose in Hong Kong\u2019s Mong Kok, Prince Edward, and Po Lam districts. Police in riot gear were deployed to all three locations, but no tear gas was used. Protests were held every day the following weekend, including the one on Sunday at the U.S. Consulate General.\nFigure 1. Aerial View of Protest Outside U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong\n/\nSource: Reuters\nResponse of China and Hong Kong Governments\nChina has repeatedly criticized U.S. Members of Congress and diplomats for meddling in China\u2019s \u201cinternal affairs,\u201d \u201cwhitewashing\u201d and \u201cglorifying\u201d rioters, and \u201cslandering\u201d the Hong Kong police. State media in China have made unsubstantiated allegations that the U.S. government is financing and organizing the protests and identified U.S. Consulate personnel allegedly involved. Defending its implementation of its \u201cOne Country, Two Systems\u201d policy, China has emphasized, \u201cOne Country\u2019 is the foundation of and prerequisite for Two Systems.\u2019\u201d On September 9, 2019, the HKSAR government issued a statement in which it expressed \u201cregret over the re-introduction of the [Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy] Act and reiterates that foreign legislatures should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs of the HKSAR.\u201d\nPending Legislation\nThe Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (H.R. 3289, S. 1838) would amend the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-383) to require the Secretary of State to produce an annual report assessing the status of Hong Kong\u2019s autonomy, as well as impose sanctions on officials of China and Hong Kong who the President determines are responsible for suppressing basic freedoms in Hong Kong. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has indicated that she would support consideration of the bill by the House of Representatives. H.Res. 543 would condemn China\u2019s interference in Hong Kong and \u201ccalls on the Administration to ensure that munitions and crowd-control equipment the United States sells to the Hong Kong police aren\u2019t used to repress peaceful protests in Hong Kong.\u201d", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/IN11165", "sha1": "3eaeb582580ee2cf4e0d8a92e9fc8039ad7dd971", "filename": "files/20190910_IN11165_3eaeb582580ee2cf4e0d8a92e9fc8039ad7dd971.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=IN/ASPX/IN11165_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190910_IN11165_images_4f60fd6c92446a2959500f8d3aa1c0c370d89d2d.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/IN11165", "sha1": "cdce9b659ab46111cab77cefeeca66564c2b4d4c", "filename": "files/20190910_IN11165_cdce9b659ab46111cab77cefeeca66564c2b4d4c.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "CRS Insights" ] }