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WORLD NEWS Monday 1 april 2019

Proposed Hong Kong extradition law changes spark concerns

Associated Press ment in China. Police put tax evasion or other eco-
HONG KONG (AP) — Busi- the number of participants nomic crimes to punish po-
ness and human rights at 5,000, while participants litical critics — could stifle
groups are expressing said at least 10,000 turned civil society and freedom
concern over proposed out. In a statement issued of speech in Hong Kong,
changes to Hong Kong’s Sunday, Sophie Richard- where civil liberties are al-
extradition law that would son, China director at Hu- ready under assault from
allow suspects to be sent man Rights Watch, said, pro-Beijing groups. In recent
to mainland China, where “These amendments would years, several people con-
they could be subject to heighten the risk for hu- nected with a Hong Kong
torture and unfair prosecu- man rights activists and publishing house that pro-
tion. They say the move others critical of China be- duced unflattering books
would harm the Asian fi- ing extradited to the main- on mainland Chinese lead-
nancial hub’s attractive- land for trial on fabricated ers have appeared in Chi-
ness to international busi- charges.” “The amend- nese police custody after
ness. Hong Kong currently ments would tarnish Hong apparently being abduct-
limits such extraditions to Protesters with placards and flags against an extradition law Kong’s reputation for the ed, along with a prominent
jurisdictions with which it march toward the government headquarters in Hong Kong, rule of law, and should be business person wanted on
has existing extradition Sunday, March 31, 2019. scrapped,” Richardson the mainland.
agreements or to others Associated Press said, adding that the legal Unlike China, Hong Kong
on an individual basis un- transfer of criminal suspects turning up speaks loads changes would put Hong is subject to the U.N. Inter-
der a law passed before to China and remove the about the concerns of Kong people “at risk of tor- national Covenant on Civil
the semi-autonomous terri- legislature’s right to scruti- Hong Kong people,” Alan ture and unfair trials.” Those and Political Rights and the
tory’s handover from British nize individual extradition Leong, chairman of the concerns were reflected in Convention against Torture
to Chinese rule in 1997. Chi- decisions filed by Hong Hong Kong Civic Party, told a letter to Hong Kong Chief and Other Cruel, Inhuman
na was excluded because Kong’s chief executive. participants. Executive Carrie Lam au- or Degrading Treatment or
of concerns over its poor Thousands of members “Hong Kong people have thored by Human Rights Punishment, as well as “cus-
record on legal indepen- of the city’s beleaguered complete lack of confi- Watch along with the Hong tomary international law,”
dence and human rights. pro-democracy camp dence in the indepen- Kong Human Rights Moni- which “prohibit returning
However, changes to the marched to government dence and impartiality of tor and the local branch of people to places where
Fugitive Offenders Ordi- headquarters on Sun- the judicial system in Chi- Amnesty International. there is a real risk of torture
nance and the Mutual Le- day afternoon, an unusu- na,” said Albert Ho, chair- The groups warned that and other ill-treatment, un-
gal Assistance in Criminal ally large turnout for such man of the Hong Kong Al- fear of extradition to Chi- fair trials, and other serious
Matters Ordinance would events in recent years. liance in Support of the Pa- na — which routinely uses human rights violations,”
expand the scope for the “The number of people triotic Democratic Move- trumped-up charges of the letter said. q

N. Korea calls for investigation into Madrid embassy attack

By ERIC TALMADGE tolerated.” ling out about the raid af-
Associated Press He claimed an armed ter a Spanish judge lifted
TOKYO (AP) — North Ko- group tortured the staff a secrecy order last week
rea said Sunday it wants and suggested they stole and said an investigation of
an investigation into a raid communications gear. what happened on Feb. 22
on its embassy in Spain last The 10 people who alleg- uncovered evidence that
month, calling it a “grave edly raided the embassy in “a criminal organization”
terrorist attack” and an act Madrid belong to a myste- shackled and gagged em-
of extortion that violates in- rious dissident organization bassy staff before escap-
ternational law. that styles itself as a gov- ing with computers, hard
The incident occurred ernment-in-exile dedicated drives and documents. A
ahead of President Don- to toppling the ruling Kim U.S. official said the group is
ald Trump’s second summit family dynasty. The leader named Cheollima Civil De-
with leader Kim Jong Un in of the alleged intruders fense, a little-known organi-
Hanoi on Feb. 27-28. A mys- appears to be a Yale-edu- zation that recently called
terious group calling for the This Wednesday, March 13, 2019 file photo shows a general cated human rights activ- for international solidarity in
overthrow of the North Ko- view of North Korea’s embassy in Madrid, Spain. ist who was once jailed in the fight against North Ko-
rean regime has claimed Associated Press China while trying to rescue rea’s government.
responsibility. an illegal intrusion into and of the state sovereignty North Korean defectors liv- Spain has issued at least
The North’s official media occupation of a diplomat- and a flagrant violation of ing in hiding, according to two international arrest
quoted a Foreign Ministry ic mission and an act of ex- international law, “and this activists and defectors. warrants for members of
spokesman as saying that tortion are a grave breach kind of act should never be Details have begun trick- the group.q