HONG KONG -- The announcement this week by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to formally withdraw a contentious extradition bill comes after three months of demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and police. The protests began as a campaign to stop proposed legislation that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China, which many say lacks an independent judicial system.
Lam suspended the legislative debate on the bill in mid-June but her refusal to formally retract the bill was strongly criticized by pro-democracy lawmakers and a majority of the public.
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