Fresh Concerns About Mainland Rendition Suspects

Questions have been raised as to whether Hong Kong crime suspects could be sent to the mainland under new legislation planned, even though they had never travelled across the border.

And critics of the extradition bill said on Tuesday that they didn't like the government's response.

At a Legco security panel meeting where lawmakers discussed the law amendments, Lam Cheuk-ting of the Democratic Party asked officials if the Hong Kong government would hand over anyone accused of conspiring with others in committing crimes across the border but who had never set foot on mainland soil.

Lam cited the case of veteran democrat Albert Ho, who helped mainland activists escape to Hong Kong after the June 4 crackdown in 1989.

Security Secretary John Lee said this was just a hypothetical case.

"All the cases should be considered on the basis of fact, and in a vacuum it would be difficult for us to say how we're going to deal with it," he said.

"As to the case you referred to, we haven't got the case before us."

Lam said Lee's response failed to address concerns about the contentious extradition bill.

"If the person will be extradited to mainland China, it would jeopardise One Country, Two Systems," Lam said.