Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam has defended the existing Commission of Inquiry (IPCC) as „credible and independent“ in cases of police violence. It is „not fair“ to describe the members of the Supervisory Board as government-friendly.
In front of the press in Hong Kong today, Lam rejected criticism that she did not respond to the demonstrators‘ demand for a separate, independent commission of inquiry with a judge at the top.
Lam: no turnaround
The complete withdrawal of the controversial extradition law the day before, with which Lam had met the demonstrators, was based on their own initiative, according to their statements. The central government in Beijing has „supported and respected“ throughout. If the Legislative Council comes back from vacation in one month, the bill is formally removed from the agenda, without the need for a vote or debate.
Lam denied having made a U-turn. She had already suspended the draft at the beginning of June and declared „dead“ at the beginning of July. However, in order to dispel concerns about the law and to start a dialogue, she followed the advice of the Council to delete the draft altogether. Leaders of the protests had criticized their initiative as „too little, too late“. In addition to independent investigations into police violence, they also demand an amnesty and free elections.
More protests on the weekend
The protests should be continued over the weekend – possibly at the airport again. For 13 consecutive weekends, the Hong Kong people have already taken to the streets. The protests often ended in clashes between demonstrators and the police. The Hong Kong people fear increasing influence of the Chinese government on Hong Kong and a curtailment of their freedoms.
The former British Crown Colony has been autonomously governed since its return to China in 1997 as a Chinese Special Administrative Region under the principle of „one country, two systems“. The seven million Hong Kong people – unlike the people of the Communist People’s Republic – enjoy more rights such as freedom of expression and assembly.
