Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday that the controversial extradition bill that has led to mass protests in the city is "dead." Addressing the weeks-long drama during a news conference, she reiterated that there is no plan to restart the legislation. She described the work to amend the bill as a "total failure." Lam, meanwhile, said she took full responsibility for what has happened in the city, according to a translation of her address.

Political tensions in Hong Kong have risen in recent weeks amid protests over an extradition bill that would have allowed some arrested in the city to be sent for trial in mainland China. The bill had been suspended after a first round of demonstrations, but protesters continued taking to the street with calls for it to be withdrawn completely. "I have almost immediately put a stop to the (bill) amendment exercise, but there are still lingering doubts about the government's sincerity, or worries whether the government will restart the process in the legislative council, so I reiterate here: There is no such plan, the bill is dead." Notably, Lam did not say that she is officially withdrawing the bill, raising questions about to what extent the measure could be revived in the future. Lam noted those concerns in Cantonese remarks. "What I'm saying today is nothing really different from what I said before. But maybe the citizens need to hear a definitive saying (from me)," Lam said, according to a translation of those comments. "So saying that the extradition bill is now in the coffin is the more definitive way of saying it, which means, the bill is dead. Hence, everyone doesn't need to worry whether there will be any tactics that the discussion of the bill will resume in this Legislative Council term."

Protests and potential ramifications