A group of protesters stormed Hong Kong’s parliament building this week as demonstrations intensified. Walls were sprayed with graffiti and furniture destroyed before riot police circled the complex and fired tear gas at the crowd gathered outside.
Since then protests have stepped up over controversial plans to allow extraditions to mainland China, and 13 people have been arrested.
On June 9, more than a million people marched against the bill, which they fear could allow China to encroach on rights in the territory.
What are the Hong Kong-China extradition plans?
Under the terms of the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule, Hong Kong has rights and liberties not enjoyed by those on the mainland, under the One Country, Two Systems framework. The proposed bill to allow extradition to the Chinese court system has sparked a wave of protest against the Beijing government.
Despite widespread concerns, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam won’t be moved on the matter and is pushing for the amendments to be passed before July.
The changes would allow for extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau for suspects accused of crimes including rape and murder.
The requests would then be decided on a case-by-case basis – but not all crimes would warrant extradition.
Many commercial offences such as tax evasion are not included to protect the sizeable business community.
People accused of religious and political offences would not be extradited and only those accused of offences that carry a minimum sentence of at least seven years will be handed over.
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Why are people so angry?
Public opposition has been wide and critics have condemned the move saying that people would be subject to unfair trials, detention and torture under the new regime.
Commentators believe that the actions taken by protesters indicate a deeper anger that goes beyond the bill and encompasses the whole administration – including the release of detained activists and investigations in to police violence.
On Monday – which was the 22nd anniversary of the semi-autonomous city’s handover to China – hundreds of people ransacked the former British colony’s Legislative Council scrawling anti-China slogans and hoisting a historical flag of Hong Kong.
Why is the bill being proposed?
In February 2018, a 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend, while holidaying in Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials looked to Hong Kong authorities to extradite the man after he returned to his home territory, but were told there was nothing Hong Kong would do without an extradition agreement.
However, the Taiwanese government has said it will not seek to extradite the murder suspect under the proposed changes, urging Hong Kong to handle the case separately.
Who opposes the bill?
People from all sections of society have expressed deep concern over the bill. Academics, lawyers and schoolchildren are just some of those adding their voices to the dissent by marching and signing petitions.
It was estimated that one million marched in June against the bill – the largest demonstration in Hong Kong since the territory was handed over to China in 1997.
Earlier that month, thousands of lawyers, prosecutors, law students and academics marched in silence and called on the government to shelve the proposal.
The proposal has also drawn international attention with concerns that Hong Kong’s autonomy could be further eroded.
The US said in May the move would make Hong Kong more vulnerable to China’s “political coercion”, while Britain and Canada wrote in a joint statement that they were concerned over the “potential effect” that the proposed changes would have on UK and Canadian citizens there.
Mrs Lam has been issued a diplomatic note by the EU expressing concerns over the bill.
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What is China saying?
The UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned China that it could face “serious consequences” over its treatment of protestors.
China hit back telling the UK not to “interfere in its domestic affairs”.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming said relations between the two countries had been “damaged” by Mr Hunt’s comments, for which he was summoned to the Foreign Office.
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