Pro-Beijing Lawmaker in Hong Kong Urges Restraint on Extradition Bill, Signaling Discord – The New York Times

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“I think the government faces some tough choices,” Ms. Ip told reporters on Friday about the Legislative Council’s options for handling the bill. “If LegCo proceeds with second reading and debate, it could face large crowds and violent protests.”

“But on the other hand, if the government caves in to violence and external influencers, in the long run that would also make Hong Kong ungovernable,” she added.

To address concerns about the bill, officials in the Legislative Council have proposed more than 100 amendments. Now, many fear that the amount of time allocated for debating the bill — 61 hours — will not be enough. Some have called political foul play.

Others object to the length of time that the government allocated for public consultation on the bill before moving it to the legislature. The government set aside 20 days, but other bills, including ones that are far less contentious, routinely get a few months.

Lawyers have questioned the government’s sense of urgency in passing this bill, too. Mrs. Lam has said it would address a legal loophole urgently needed to ensure that a Hong Kong man accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year does not go free.

But officials in Taiwan have objected to the legislation and said they would not seek the man’s extradition if it passed. In its current form, the bill could undermine the sovereignty of Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory.

Mr. Tien, the pro-Beijing lawmaker, said that he did not understand why Mrs. Lam remained “so adamant” about passing the bill given Taiwan’s opposition.

That opposition “would provide the basis for any leader to change their position,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with that. This is what I am imploring the chief executive to do.”

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/world/asia/hong-kong-protests-extradition-law.html

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