INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
By Sharon Marris, news reporter Protesters have blocked government headquarters in Hong Kong as they fight a law that would allow people
to be sent to China for trial.Thousands of people, most of them young, forced a session at the Legislative Council to be postponed
indefinitely.The largely peaceful demonstration saw barriers overturned and many businesses closed in the area.One 18-year-old protester,
who only gave her first name - Jacky - said: "We're young but we know that if we don't stand up for our rights, we might lose them."It comes
three days after a rally that organisers said brought more than one million people onto the streets to condemn the proposed
bill.Image:Police are lined up outside the Hong Kong government building Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam has previously vowed to
press ahead with the legislation, despite concerns it could leave residents exposed to human rights abuses.Ms Lam has insisted that
extradition cases would be decided by Hong Kong courts and that, without the changes, Hong Kong could become a haven for criminals evading
justice.The former British colony was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997 with guarantees of autonomy and freedoms, including a separate
legal system.But many fear that Hong Kong residents sent to China could face ambiguous national security charges and will not be given a
fair trial.China - where courts are controlled by the Communist Party - has been accused of using torture, arbitrary detentions and forced
confessions.Several senior Hong Kong lawyers have also raised concerns, highlighting a lack of trust in the mainland courts.Hong Kong Bar
Association chairman Philip Dykes said: "The government is asking these people with decades of mistrust suddenly to trust the system and to
accept assurances that the [Chinese] mainland will offer that they be honoured - and that's clearly not persuading the people."But
government officials insist there are adequate safeguards and that nobody will be extradited to face political or religious persecution or
torture, or the death penalty.Image:Protesters are occupying a road near the government headquarters in Hong KongRonny Tong Ka-wah, a lawyer
and member of Ms Lam's administration advisory committee, warned that Beijing's patience for Hong Kong was limited.He said: "We need to gain
the trust and confidence of Beijing so they can allow us the freedom of political reform."They don't want to see Hong Kong as a base of
And I'm sorry - we're doing exactly that."Image:Protesters say the bill would leave Hong Kong residents exposed to human rights abusesThe
legislature's president, Andrew Leung, has scheduled a vote on the extradition law for 20 June, although it is not clear if this date will
