Hong Kong formally scraps extradition bill but move is unlikely to end unrest

▶ Withdrawal too little, too late say protesters as they press for other demands to be met

Hong Kong’s legislature yesterday formally withdrew a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

The move meets just one of five demands of pro-democracy protesters and is unlikely to end the months of unrest.

The rallying cry of the protesters has been “five demands, not one less”, meaning the withdrawal of the bill on its own makes no difference.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had said many times the bill was as good as dead and that other demands, including universal suffrage and an amnesty for all those charged with rioting, were beyond her control.

Protesters are calling for her to stand down and for an independent inquiry into perceived police brutality during a summer of battles on the streets.

“There aren’t any big differences between suspension and withdrawal [of the extradition bill] … It’s too little, too late,” said Connie, 27, a protester, hours before the bill was withdrawn. “There are still other demands the government needs to meet, especially the problem of police brutality.”

Police responded to the violence with water cannon, tear gas, rubber bullets and several live rounds.

Demonstrators are angry at what they see as Beijing encroaching on the former British colony’s “one country, two systems” formula enshrined during the handover in 1997, which permits the city wide-ranging freedoms not available on the mainland such as an independent judiciary.

The extradition bill would have allowed defendants charged to be sent for trial abroad, including to Communist Party-controlled courts in mainland China.

The bill was seen as the latest move by Beijing to weaken those freedoms.

China has denied these claims and accuses foreign countries of fomenting trouble.

A murder suspect whose case Ms Lam had originally held up as showing the need for the extradition bill walked free yesterday as the city’s government squabbled with Taiwan over how to handle his potential surrender.

Chan Tong-kai, a Hong Kong citizen, was accused of murdering his girlfriend in Taiwan last year before fleeing back to the financial hub.

Chan was arrested by Hong Kong police in March last year but authorities there were only able to find evidence against him for money laundering, for which he was sentenced to 29 months in jail.

Chan has offered to voluntarily surrender himself to Taiwan, but Hong Kong and Taiwan have clashed over the next steps.

Hong Kong Secretary for Security John Lee said Taiwan, which China claims as its own, was obstructing the case.

China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, has offered the “one country, two systems” formula for it to unite with the mainland.

Democratic Taiwan has rejected the offer, with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen saying this month that such an arrangement had pushed Hong Kong to “the edge of disorder”.

China, which has many times expressed confidence in Ms Lam, was drawing up a plan to replace her with an “interim” chief executive, the Financial

Times reported.

The leading candidates to succeed her include Norman Chan, the former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Henry Tang, who has also served as the territory’s financial secretary and chief secretary for administration, the report said.

A spokesman said Mr Tang did not comment on speculation and that he supported Ms Lam as chief executive.

A senior official in Beijing said the report was incorrect and none of the suggested candidates listed in the story could possibly take over from Ms Lam based on the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution which came into force in 1997.

The law says that if the chief executive is unable to discharge his or her duties, such duties will be temporarily assumed by the Administrative Secretary, Financial Secretary or Secretary of Justice in that order. A new chief executive would be selected within six months.

But Beijing had prepared several contingency plans for various scenarios in Hong Kong, including Ms Lam’s administration losing control of the situation, the official said.

Over recent months, Beijing set up a special team working from Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, to gather information.

The team acted as the major communication channel between Hong Kong and Beijing.

Ms Lam’s office was authorised to talk to the team directly without going through Beijing’s Liaison Office.

The Liaison Office, the symbol of Chinese rule, was attacked in July and daubed with anti-China graffiti.

Carrie Lam said demands for universal suffrage and an amnesty for those charged with rioting were beyond her control