- The man who sparked the ill-fated extradition bill says he wants to give himself up to the authorities in Taiwan; for embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, though, much work still needs to be done to end the ensuing chaos and violence
The furore over the now-shelved extradition bill has been gripping the city for months. But on a brighter note, Chan Tong-kai, the murder suspect at the centre of the controversy, plans to surrender himself to Taiwan after serving his jail term for related offences in Hong Kong. While it cannot undo the havoc sparked by his escape after the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing in Taipei, it is a right step to take, not just for his conscience and justice, but also for the sake of closure for the victim's family. Hong Kong and Taiwan should work harder together to bring Chan to justice.
Lam 'relieved' that murder suspect in extradition saga to turn himself in
Whether this can help ease the prevailing political crisis remains to be seen, though. There has never been any doubt over the need for Chan, who has admitted killing Poon and disposing of her body during a trip to Taipei in February 2018, to face trial and be punished accordingly. Upon his return to Hong Kong, Chan was arrested and sentenced to 29 months for money laundering stemming from the theft of Poon's money. But the lack of an extradition treaty with Taiwan prompted Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to facilitate the transfer of Chan by legal amendments, under which fugitives could also be extradited to places with which Hong Kong lacked such an agreement, including the mainland.
The focus has long moved from the murder case and the extradition bill to the actions of the police and the government. Chan reportedly expressed hope that his surrender would help ease the tension. But his plan may put Lam in a more embarrassing situation. Now that Chan is finally ready to shoulder responsibility, Lam is under stronger pressure to put an end to the saga. More than four months have passed since the first mass protest broke out but the will and skills to end the crisis are still lacking.
The embattled leader probably wished Chan had listened to his conscience earlier. Meanwhile, her annual policy address did not help her recover any lost ground. Only 17 per cent of respondents to a poll were satisfied with her speech, apparently the lowest ever. Her Facebook live session last Thursday and the town hall meeting with citizens earlier were not well received by the public, either. Lam needs to work harder to end the crisis.
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