Carrie Lam, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), insisted on Thursday that she decided to introduce the fugitive bill, then to suspend it and now it is her decision to formally withdraw it, an official announcement made by the SAR chief yesterday.

The introduction of the bill triggered social unrest in the city, which entered its third month last weekend. The protests have turned increasingly violent, with radical protesters equipped with knives, metal rods, laser pointers and even petrol bombs, attacking police officers.

'The sole purpose is to break deadlock'

At the press conference, Lam said the sole purpose of withdrawing the bill is to "break the deadlock" and bring back "Hong Kong's ordinance."

She assured that that does not require any voting or debate when it goes through the Legislative Council next month.

Lam also elaborated on the "Four Actions" - one of which being the take out of the bill- she proposed on Wednesday, hoping they would help in building the foundation for a dialogue between the SAR government and general public.

Me and my team would set up a dialogue platform and visit communities, hoping to learn about the concerns of Hong Kong residents from all walks of life and find a solution, she said. 

Experienced international experts have also been invited to assist on the current impasse.

In addition, the SAR government has appointed two new members to the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), a body handling complaints against the police. "The appointment of members should be neutral without any political background," Lam said.

“We have urged the public to provide information to the IPCC, which can conduct a fair and righteous probe."

Lam has also asked for support from the general public, hoping they could retain trust in the police as well as the SAR government.