I am a fan, and friend, of Michael Chugani, but I must take issue with his complaint against the aborted extradition bill as another instance of interference by Beijing (“ Beijing should loosen grip on Hongkongers ”, June 27). As Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has reiterated, and as confirmed by Mr Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to Britain, the rendition of fugitive offenders (amendment) bill was initiated by the Hong Kong government to deal with the Taiwan murder case – in which a Hongkonger accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan fled to Hong Kong – and also to plug a long-standing loophole in our criminal justice system. Discussions in the Legislative Council about the need to complete talks with mainland China on arrangements for the rendition of fugitive offenders date back to 1998. Back in December 1998, in matters arising from two criminal cases in which the suspects escaped justice in Hong Kong by fleeing to the mainland, then-legislator Martin Lee Chu-ming moved a motion in Legco urging the government to “expeditiously discuss and conclude an agreement with the central people’s government, on the basis of internationally accepted principles, on rendition arrangements between the mainland and the SAR, so as to restore the public’s confidence in the SAR’s judicial jurisdiction.” As the security secretary , I had reported to Legco’s security panel that then-chief secretary Anson Chan had undertaken to conclude discussions with mainland authorities as expeditiously as possible. All legislators from the Democratic Party voted for Lee’s motion. They were well aware that all agreements must be reciprocal, and legislative amendments to existing laws were necessary. The ad hoc arrangements now proposed by the government are a marked improvement on the earlier model. The government has succeeded in securing an explicit agreement from the Beijing authorities not to impose the death penalty. The ambit of the bill has also been greatly narrowed to cover only those offences punishable by seven years’ imprisonment. Yet, rioters would not be satisfied and on July 1 stormed Legco and occupied the chamber, damaging government property, tearing up the Basic Law and displaying a Union flag. Such actions go far beyond dissatisfaction over the rendition bill. Such blatant violation of the law and the legislative chamber strikes at the heart of Hong Kong’s rule of law and should be roundly condemned. On July 9, exactly one month after the onset of the mass protests, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced emphatically that “ the bill is dead ”. But with district council elections looming, and the unleashing of fury against the government expected to boost the success of anti-government candidates, the protests are likely to continue in all 18 districts until the holding of the polls in late November. Regina Ip, member, Legislative Council