Hong Kong Legislative Council members are considering amending the territory’s extradition laws to define Taiwan as part of China, the New Power Party (NPP) said yesterday.
If such amendments were passed, China would treat Taiwan as part of its jurisdiction and “more than 2 million Taiwanese who work and study in Hong Kong could face the same fate as Lee Ming-che (李明哲),” NPP Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said.
Lee, a Taiwanese democracy advocate, was arrested in March 2017 when entering China from Macau, and eight months later was sentenced to five years in prison for “subversion of state power.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The changes would not only raise the travel risk to Hong Kong, but also lead to greater self-censorship, he said.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau on Friday last week advised the council to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, saying that it is necessary to include “other parts of the People’s Republic of China” to the areas in which the two laws can be applied to allow criminals to be delivered from Hong Kong to Taiwan, Hsu said.
While the proposal has received the support of many pro-China members of the council, when asked about the matter, Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) only said that it has not yet happened and promised to look into it, Hsu said.
Although the proposal is still being discussed, as it concerns the nation’s sovereignty, the Taiwanese government should express its stance on the issue and support a proposal from pro-democracy councilors to only deal with bilateral agreements on extradition between Taiwan and Hong Kong, he said.
The Ministry of Justice would ensure that cross-strait judicial cooperation is handled in an “equal, reciprocal and respectful manner,” and would reject any request that fails to meet those requirements, ministry official Liu Yi-chun (劉怡君) said.
In this particular case, the ministry cannot comment on the proposed amendments, because no draft bills have yet been revealed, she said.
The Mainland Affairs Council is aware of the proposals and hopes that the Hong Kong government would deal with the matter with caution and consider the interests of both sides, agency official Huang Ting-hui (黃廷輝) said.
“The government will not accept anything aimed at undermining the nation’s sovereignty,” he added.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old