Govt Faces No Confidence Vote Over Fugitive Law

Lawmakers will debate a motion of no confidence against the Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, later on Wednesday, amid pressure on the government to back down over its amendments to extradition laws.

The legislation would allow people accused of serious crimes to be surrendered to jurisdictions with which the SAR has no formal extradition agreement, including the mainland.

Critics say people handed over to the mainland might not receive a fair trial, and in April, thousands took to the streets for a second time in a month, calling for the government to drop the proposal. Another protest is scheduled for June 9.

The motion will probably fail in the pro-government weighted chamber, but Democratic Party lawmaker James To said Lam's actions were "even worse than the former Chief Executive, CY Leung", and would damage the SAR.

To said Lam was trying to appear to be seeking "more harmony" and to be "more accommodative" with the Hong Kong people, when in fact she just wants to placate the central government.

"We want to alert the Hong Kong people," To said, adding that Lam was not allowing enough time to discuss the legislation.

To criticised her refusal to debate the matter publicly and for limiting consultations to private meetings with small groups of people.

A group of Democratic Party supporters held a protest outside Legco ahead of the no confidence vote. The protesters said the CE is only trying to please Beijing and is harming Hong Kong by pushing the extradition bill.

Under the government's proposal, the Chief Executive would be given the power to kick off the process to extradite people to places Hong Kong does not have a formal agreement with, on a case-by-case basis,

Officials say the changes can plug what they believe is a legal loophole, citing the case of a Hong Kong man accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan, but who can't be charged over the murder because there's no extradition agreement in place.

A number of foreign countries are reviewing their bilateral agreements with Hong Kong over concerns about the proposal, according to a lawmaker who attended a luncheon with more than 30 diplomats in Legco on Monday.

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