Hong Kong extradition bill: both sides make final appeals ahead of mass rally that pan-democrats hope will draw 500,000
- Former chief secretary Anson Chan makes last-minute appeal as activists warn against ‘death’ of city’s autonomous status
- While former justice minister Elsie Leung accuses government’s critics of ‘politicising and demonising’ bill
Leading figures from both sides have made last-minute pleas for support ahead of a mass rally against the government’s controversial extradition bill, underscoring Hong Kong’s deep divide over the legislation and lack of trust in mainland China’s legal system.
Pro-democracy heavyweights, including the city’s former No 2 official Anson Chan Fang On-sang, called on the public to take to the streets on Sunday to denounce the proposal, while former justice minister Elise Leung Oi-sie accused the government’s critics of “politicising and demonising” the amendment.
Against that backdrop, Vincent Ng Wing-shun, a former election adviser to Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, warned that rushing through the bill risked polarising society even further, and said more time should be allowed for public consultation.
The issue reached boiling point in the city this week after the government pushed for the passage of the bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives on a case-by-case basis to jurisdictions Hong Kong lacks an agreement with, including mainland China and Taiwan.
On Saturday, it also emerged that a judge had received a warning from Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li after he was found to have signed a petition against the bill.