It's not a big deal, or is it?

There is never shortage of talk of the town in this small island here in Hong Kong. However, there is one recent topic which receives quite different attention among the spectrum of different walks of life. To one end of the spectrum like the housewives (no offense) or primary school students, they just react as what the subject of this post puts it. However on the other end like the legal sector or the business sector sees it as if the opening of the Pandora Box. Yes, it is the proposed bill of extradition.

The Hong Kong government claims the proposed bill (Bill) is the response to a murder case which the victim and the suspect are both Hong Kong people but happened in Taiwan so even if the suspect now came back to Hong Kong but the jurisdiction here in Hong Kong cannot act upon it. The Hong Kong government said therefore the Bill was proposed to close the loophole and to bring the justice back.

Naturally many people is upset about the situation that the suspect could escape from court trial and feel pity for the victim. The case happened in last March and the Hong Kong government reacts unprecedentedly fast to propose the Bill in just one year. Its enthusiasm in this case brought skepticism on its motive by the public, especially the opposition camp. Their doubt did not come with no ground. The Bill not only addresses this Taiwan murder case but extends the access of extradition to China. It is indeed a mutation of the national security law which has not yet been established in Hong Kong but is wanted so badly by Beijing.

This is another example of the manifestation that Beijing is tightening its grip onto Hong Kong's governing. The chief executive of HKSAR, Carrie Lam, has made it clear that the timing for the proposal of the nation security law (Law) is yet to come in light of the society currently is still so divided. Lam sees it so right and indeed the Law will definitely receive the most severe resistance even in the consultation stage, if any. However, Beijing is losing its patience and this murder case just gave rise to the chance to have it done to an even higher level in another way.

The Bill, if passed, virtually allows Beijing to fetch anybody back to China even if he/she is at the other side of the border. Despite it was claimed that the extradition must be applied under the alleged offense that is relevant in both China and Hong Kong and the Hong Kong law court can act as a screening gate. However, the screening function is merely on the inspection of due course in procedure but not to examine whether the application is made with sound and reasonable ground. Given its notorious judicial system so the fact is that Beijing can just name an offense then it can extradite someone whom is, as long as, deemed as a hostility by China. Hong Kong will no longer be a safe place for anyone whom is not welcome by China. Furthermore, the even more evil part of this Bill is that Beijing can even fetch anyone indirectly from countries where Hong Kong maintains extradition agreement.

Whether it is really not a big deal or a Pandora Box, it all depends on how one sees China's judicial system. The point is when yours and your family's well being rest on your decision, are you bold enough to bet on it? Anyway, at least there are two good things. One of them is that there will not be any more secret kidnapping to China in the dark in the future and on the other hand, the long awaited property market crash is very likely to happen cos with decades of preparation, many Hong Kong property owners are holders of foreign passport or residency now so a new round of exodus is at brink if the Bill is passed.