Hong Kong government suspends divisive extradition bill

Hong Kong's embattled leer on Saturday said a divisive bill that would allow extritions to China would be "suspended" in a major climbdown from her government after a week of unprecedented protests.

city's pro-Beijing leer Carrie Lam has come under huge pressure to abandon controversial legislation, including from her own political allies and visers.

" government has decided to suspend legislative amendment exercise, restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more... work and listen to different views of society," Lam told reporters Saturday.

"We have intention to set a deline for this work and promise to report to and consult members of legislative council panel on security before we decide on next step forward." international finance hub was rocked by worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

As criticism mounted, signs also emerged of a growing discomfort among Communist Party leers in Beijing, and Lam held her press conference Saturday at same government complex that was besieged by protesters earlier in week.

South China Morning Post said Lam held an emergency meeting on Friday night with her visers while Chinese officials were also meeting in nearby city of Shenzhen to map a way out of impasse.

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Tensions were running high with protest organisers planning ar mass rally on June 16.

Lam, who is appointed by a committee stacked with Beijing loyalists, h previously refused to consider abandoning bill, despite months of criticism from business and legal bodies -- and a record breaking rally on Sunday where organisers said more than one million protesters hit streets.

"I feel deep sorrow and regret that deficiencies in our work and various or factors have stirred up substantial controversies and disputes in society following relatively calm periods of past two years," Lam said.

On June 14 she found herself facing growing calls from within her own political camp to reverse course and tamp down spiralling public anger -- including from hardline pro-Beijing lawmakers.

"Shouldn't (we) cool citizens down? I think to postpone it for a little bit is t a b thing. At this moment, government should self-examine," Ann Chiang, a hardcore pro-Beijing lawmaker, told i-Cable News.

But ors have warned against Lam bending to protesters. "If government caves in to violence and external influences, in long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable," pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip told reporters.

Opposition to extrition bill has united an unusually wide cross section of Hong Kong.

Protest organisers h been calling for a full withdrawal of bill, t a postponement. James To, a lawmaker from city's pan-democrat camp, called on Lam to step down.

" credibility of our chief executive has alrey been written off, it's a kind of government that cant have any credibility to rule anymore," he told reporters on June 14. Beijing has vocally supported bill and earlier this week threw its full support behind Lam ministration, calling protesters "rioters".

But it has since sought to distance itself as public anger spiralled.

" central government gave instruction, order about ... amendment," Lu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassor to Britain, told BBC.

"This amendment was initiated by Hong Kong government." On June 14 night, thousands of parents gared in a park in heart of city's commercial district to condemn use of rubber bullets and tear gas against predominantly young protesters on June 12.

Y. Chan, a 50-year-old mor of two, said she was outrd watching scenes unfold.

"It's calling for all mors who h eugh alrey of what happened or day," she told AFP. "My kids were out re also that day. And although I want m to be safe, want m to be at home, but this is ir home. y are defending it."

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