Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Tuesday (July 9) that the controversial extradition bill, which inspired massive protests, is officially "dead".

She said in a news conference streamed online and on social media via local cable TV news channels that the work to amend the bill was a "total failure", "the bill is dead", and there was no plan to restart any other iteration of this legislation.

"I had almost immediately put a stop (to the passage of this bill).

There still remain doubts about the sincerity of the (Hong Kong) government and worries about whether the government will restart the process in the Legislative Council.

So I would like to reiterate here — there is no such plan. The bill is dead."

Lam also said she took full responsibility for the fallout, violence and protests that happened over the past few weeks in the region.

Huge protests

Protests against the passage of the controversial extradition bill, which would allow Hong Kong's government to send fugitives from the law to countries it doesn't already have extradition treaties with like China, rocked Hong Kong as early as June 9, with an estimated 2 million people taking to the streets in subsequent demonstrations.

On July 1, things got to a head when protesters attacked the Legislative Council building and vandalised its interior, in scenes that were broadcast worldwide.

No blanket amnesty, but more open dialogue

During the press conference, Lam also responded to one of the protesters' demands that she grant amnesty to all arrested protesters, saying she would not grant a blanket amnesty.

"Any demand that we should grant amnesty — meaning to not follow up with prosecution and investigation (of the protesters who were arrested over the past few weeks) — is not acceptable because it bluntly goes against the rule of law."

Lam also said several times she would reach out more to young people, and she would hold more open dialogues with the community with people of different backgrounds.

"I fully understand that the responses of the government may not have fully met the wishes of the people, I just want to reiterate that this is nothing to do with my pride or arrogance."

Lam confirmed that no independent committee will be formed to investigate the clashes, with the Independent Police Complaints Council taking up the responsibility of doing this.

She also mentioned the 2014 Occupy protests, noting that such demonstrations do not just reflect a "single incident", but also speak to fundamental, deep-seated problems in Hong Kong.

She added that this time it could not be ignored, and that she hoped they could go deeper into the issues and find a solution.

Top image from Carrie Lam's Facebook page.