friendinTaiwan.Asthereis noextraditionagreement
withTaiwan,theHongKonggovernmentcouldnot
extraditetheaccused tothecountrytofacetrialfor
manslaughter,despitetherequestsof theauthorities.
SAFEGUARDSINTHEBILL
ThereareenoughsafeguardsintheBillthattheHong
Konggovernment is proposing thatwouldpreventthe
extraditionof anypersonwhois at riskof convictionin
themainlandonthegroundsof hisreligiousorpolitical
orientation. Under theprovisions of theBill,anyperson
whofaces tortureorthedeathpenaltywillnotbeextra-
ditedfromHongKong.Forthatmatter,HongKonghas
signedmutual extraditiontreatieswith 20 othercoun-
tries,includingtheU.S.,U.K., Canadaandneighbouring
countriessuchas thePhilippines andSingapore.
SimonYoung,a professorof lawat theUniversityof
HongKong,toldSouthChinaMorning Postthatthe
proposed changes in the extradition laws would
strengthencooperationwithMacauandTaiwanin com-
batingcommercialandfinancialcrime.TheChinese gov-
ernmenthassaidthatit hasplayednoroleinHong
Kong’sdecisiontoamenditsextraditionlaws.Atthe
sametime,it hasindicated itsstrongsupport forthe
move,stronglycriticisingthe“actions andwords”of
somecountriespertaining totheinternalmattersof
HongKong.
CarrieLamhasconsistentlybeendenyingtheaccusa-
tionthatBeijingplayeda rolein thedraftingof thenew
legislation.Sheemphasisedthattherevisionwasneces-
sarytobetterupholdthelawandfulfil international
commitments.Theamendmentswouldcoveraround 37
offences,includingthoserelatedtofraudandother
white-collarcrimes.Underthe proposedamendments,
onlyChina’shighestcourtandtopprosecutorwillbe
allowedtofile anextradition request.
Theprotesters’maindemands—the withdrawalof
theextraditionBillandtheresignationof CarrieLam—
havenotbeentakenseriouslybytheauthorities.The
ChiefExecutivehassaidthathergovernmentwillstay
thecourse, thoughit hassuspendedthetablingofthe
extraditionBillforthetimebeinguntiltemperscool
down.Shesaidin thefirstweekof Julythatshewould be
moreresponsiveto publicsentimentandseekoutdiver-
gentviewstofinda solutiontotheimpassewiththe
protesters.
“The violenceandthelawlessnesshasseriouslyaf-
fectedthecorevaluesofHongKong’slegalsystem,”
CarrieLamtoldthemedia.“I feelveryindignantand
saddenedbythisandwanttostronglycondemn it.I
believethepublicalsothinksthesame.”However,there
is somecriticismat thehastein which CarrieLamtriedto
pushthroughtheextraditionlaw.Shehadevidently
assuredBeijingthat publicopinion,swayed by the
murderof thepregnantHongKongwomaninTaiwan,
wouldsupportthemove.BeijinghadwarnedtheHong
Konggovernmenttotakethepubliconboardbefore
tablingtheBill. $ATA DEMONSTRATIONwithumbrellasin theTsimShaTsuidistrict of HongKongonJuly 7.
KYLELAM/BLOOMBERG