After mass protests in Hong Kong, the second parliamentary reading of the controversial extradition law has been postponed. The sitting scheduled for this morning session of the Parliament of the Chinese Special Administrative Region will be delayed until further notice, informed the President of the so-called Legislative Council.
Earlier, tens of thousands protesters had blocked important arteries and government buildings in Hong Kong.
Hundreds of thousands on the streets
Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday in Hong Kong against the planned law that would allow deliveries to mainland China in the future. It was the largest demonstration since the transfer of the former British Crown Colony to China in 1997.
So far, Hong Kong has refrained from delivering to mainland China because the Chinese judicial system is not very transparent and the use of the death penalty is widespread.
For the return of Great Britain, Hong Kong has pledged far-reaching internal autonomy for 50 years under the formula „One Land, Two Systems“. In Hong Kong, therefore, fundamental rights that are denied to the citizens of the People’s Republic, such as freedom of expression and freedom of the press, apply. The opposition, however, accuses Beijing of interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs, undermining its autonomy agreements.
