Pro-establishment lawmakers urge Carrie Lam to back down on controversial extradition bill; adviser says safeguards can be added

Michael Tien becomes first pro-government lawmaker to write to Lam demanding the bill be scrapped

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Executive Council member Ronny Tong says the discussion should centre on how to introduce more safeguards to the bill. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 10:31pm, 2 May 2019Updated: 4:19am, 3 May 2019

Hong Kong’s leader faced more calls on Thursday to back down on a controversial extradition bill as one of her own advisers said more safeguards could be introduced to allay public concerns while pro-establishment lawmakers demanded she shelve the plan or at least not rush it through.

Pressure continued to mount on Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor after tens of thousands of Hongkongers took to the street on Sunday to oppose the government proposal, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to any jurisdiction the city lacks an extradition deal with, including mainland China.

Senior counsel Ronny Tong Ka-wah, one of Lam’s advisers on the Executive Council, said it was feasible for the government to spell out clearly that fugitives would only be transferred to jurisdictions where they would get a fair trial – a middle-ground plan earlier floated by Bar Association chairman Philip Dykes.

“[The suggestion is] certainly welcome. Let’s talk about it, debate it and make it happen … instead of just saying that China is so evil, I don’t want to have anything to do with it,” Tong said, adding the bill could also spell out the chief executive’s veto power over an extradition request from Beijing.

Dennis Kwok slammed the government’s intransigence. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Saying he was speaking in a personal capacity, Tong added that the discussion should centre on how to introduce more safeguards to the bill, instead of demanding it be shelved entirely.

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