Social Workers Voice Fears Over Extraditions

Social workers have added their voice to growing concerns about the SAR government's planned new extradition laws, warning that the changes will have a chilling effect and make staff reluctant to promote the rights of their clients.

All 59 social welfare sector voters from the last Chief Executive election signed a joint statement on Friday demanding the Legco bill be withdrawn.

They said they are concerned that the new legislation will be used to hand over people wanted by the mainland for political reasons.

Ting Wai-fong, a retired social work professor, said she is worried that she could be incriminated for past services she provided to mainlanders.

"I think that it's not what I said, or what I did, it's if the authorities think that I am someone to be eliminated then they will find a reason ... and just incriminate me. So I can tell you that I'm afraid," she said.

Ting told RTHK's Jimmy Choi that she has not gone to the mainland after 2014, but if this bill is passed she is scared that she could be extradited from here if the authorities dislike any of her past work there.

Earlier this week, more than a thousand members of the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sectors signed a petition calling on their representative in Legco, Ma Fung-kwok, not to support the fugitive bill.

The pro-democracy camp, local business sector, overseas politicians and human rights groups have all expressed concerns about the proposed legislation, which is currently stalled at the bills committee stage in Legco.