Hong Kong extradition opponents take their case to the US Congress
- Delegation warns of dire consequences and seeks immediate action to help derail extradition bill
- Testimony is part of a campaign that will include a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
A delegation of Hong Kong democracy advocates testified before a bipartisan commission in Washington on Wednesday, appealing for the US to take immediate action to help stop Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill.
Tens of thousands of Hongkongers have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the proposed legislation, which would allow residents and visitors to be extradited to territories – including mainland China and Taiwan – which now lack formal extradition agreements with Hong Kong.
Speaking at a hearing before the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which monitors Beijing’s actions on human rights and its commitment to the rule of law, the delegation warned of dire consequences the bill would bring not only to Hong Kong, but also to the US and other nations, many of which do not have extradition deals with mainland China but do with Hong Kong.
“The US has a special interest in blocking this law – and indeed may be Beijing’s special target of the law,” Martin Lee Chu-ming, a long-time pro-democracy advocate and founder of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong, told the panel of US senators and House representatives.
There are 85,000 US citizens living or working in Hong Kong, which has for decades been a safe harbour for business executives, journalists, non-governmental organisations and preachers operating in greater China. If the extradition bill is passed, Lee said, that would no longer be the case.
