Nathan Law on Protests in Hong Kong

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Well, so tell me where is this going? Carrie Lam, she has admitted short comings. She has suspended the extradition bill. And the protestors say they want more. What is it exactly apart from a full withdrawal of the bill do you want?

NATHAN LAW, FOUNDING CHAIR, DEMOSISTO: Well, I’ll demand very clear first we want her to retreat the bill instead of suspending it because she once said that in her press conference that the bill was good, the bill was with good intention and it is a possibility that it could be reintroduced. So for us, asking her to retreat that is the safest solution for us. And secondly, we want a full investigation on the police brutality on Wednesday, because the police were using way too much brutality and forces towards the peaceful protectors. They aim at the protestors head with the rubber bullet and used tear gas to them. So these are actually lethal when you use in this way. So it’s important for us to fight back justice not only for the bill but for the people who were injured in that incident.

AMANPOUR: Let me just play what Carrie Lam said this weekend. This was as she was suspending the bill. And then I’ll play what Joshua Wong, your

colleague there has said.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

CARRIE LAM, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG: I have to admit that our explanation and communication work has not been sufficient or effective. The government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise. Restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more explanation work and listen to different views of society. I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind to heat comprehensively different views in society towards the bill.

WONG: Hong Kong people, we will not get silenced under the suppression of President Xi and the Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Carrie Lam must step down. Otherwise I believe in the next few weeks before the 22 anniversary of Hong Kong (inaudible) of sovereignty. More and more Hong Kong people, not only one million or two million people will come and join our fight until we get back our basic human rights and freedom.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

AMANPOUR: So there you have the two sides clearly, clearly saying exactly what they think. Do you think is it because you all think this is a real existential test for Hong Kong that if this bill somehow gets through, it’s kind of the end of Hong Kong as we know it?

LAW: Well, definitely. The threat of the bill indeed poses a lot of threats to every single one of us.