'HK Govt Can't Get Everyone To Trust The Mainland'

Security Secretary John Lee said on Monday that the government will not be able to convince everybody to trust the mainland authorities over the surrender of fugitives no matter how hard it tries.

He was responding to lawmakers’ questions about controversial planned changes to Hong Kong’s extradition laws at a meeting of Legco’s security panel.

Some pan-democratic legislators said at the meeting that Hong Kong people lack confidence in the mainland’s judicial system. They noted that under the proposed changes, it will not be written into the law that any suspects handed over must receive a fair trial.

Lee reiterated that any extradition request from the mainland must come from the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

“For the mainland, we’ll only handle extradition requests made by its highest court. We can judge whether we can have confidence in it. Of course, some people never believe it. I can’t convince them no matter what I say."

But Civic Party lawmaker Dennis Kwok said Lee had done nothing to ease the concerns of Hong Kong people.

"I am absolutely not convinced by the answers given by the government, especially those given by John Lee," Kwok told reporters.

"He has not addressed the concerns of the Hong Kong people and the international community that people who are sent to mainland China to face trial will have a fair trial and fair hearing, in accordance with standards that we all expect from a mature system with the rule of law."

The government will table its controversial bill to the full Legislative Council on June 12 for its second reading, bypassing a bills committee previously set up by lawmakers to scrutinise the legal amendments.

Pan-democratic lawmakers warn that political dissidents and activists could be sent to the mainland for trial after the law changes are passed.

The administration says the changes are needed to close a loophole in the law and facilitate extradition to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong does not have a formal treaty.