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Violent clashes erupted again in Hong Kong when police used tear gas, pepper spray and batons against protesters trying to join parliament to protest a controversial bill that would allow extradition to the continent.
"Police used tear gas and pepper spray against pacifist demonstrators," Lam Cheung Ting, a Democratic Party legislator, told RFI.
"There are reports that police even fired plastic bullets at us. I tried to convince the police and the protesters to stay calm and stop attacking each other. But without any warning, the police m sprayed me with pepper spray. I returned to Parliament, but the police prevented me from entering, claiming that the entire building was blocked. "
Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and batons to disperse crowds of protesters in black suits, mostly young people and students.
The protesters called on the authorities to abandon amendments to the "fugitives" ordinance that would authorize the Hong Kong authorities to send people to mainland China if Beijing issued a request for extradition. The legislation dates from April 25, 1997, just two months before London returns Hong Kong to Beijing.
Article 1 expressly states that the law permits the extradition of "fugitive offenders" to a place outside Hong Kong, excluding the People's Republic of China. Legislators backed by Beijing in Hong Kong also want to include China.
The Chinese agency Xinhua News Agency official said the amendment was aimed at solving "practical problems", namely a case of homicide committed in 2018 in Taiwan, involving a Hong Kong suspect who is returned to Hong Kong. And also to "fill the gaps in the existing legal framework for mutual legal badistance in criminal matters".
Hundreds of thousands of protesters see this decision as further evidence that Beijing wants to undermine promises made under the One Country, Two Systems framework in which Hong Kong is expected to maintain its near-independence.
New clashes
On Wednesday, new clashes erupted shortly after 3 pm local time.
The scenes echoed the "Coordination Movement" of 2014, which defended democracy and in which demonstrators calling for more democratic rights had closed sections of the city for two months and had fought the police without obtaining concessions from Beijing.
Four years ago, residents flooded roads and major crossroads on Wednesday, dragging barricades on highways and tying them together. Others pulled off the bricks from the sidewalks.
No fair trial
On Wednesday, Hong Kong Bar Association President Philip Dykes wrote a letter to Hong Kong Executive Director Carrie Lam urging her to "withdraw the bill for full consultation and consultation." appropriate, "stressing that" torture persists on the continent ", even if it is illegal, its practice is" hidden and its use difficult to detect ". Suspects are often tortured outside videotaped interrogation sessions, evidence obtained under torture is "frequently admitted to court" and anyone who wants to denounce torture is "highly dissuasive". Adding that Beijing can not guarantee a fair trial.
Despite these reservations, some 40 countries have already concluded extradition treaties with China, notably the EU Member States, namely Bulgaria, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Portugal and Romania. Spain and France.
No guarantee
Last week, Spain extradited 94 Taiwanese citizens to mainland China.
According to Raúl Romero Núñez, a lawyer with the Sanchez-Cervera law firm in Madrid, who deals with extradition cases, the Spanish-Chinese extradition treaty provides, like France, for the right to extradite Extradite persons likely to be sentenced to death, or if they could be prosecuted for "political crimes".
But he admits that the guarantee of human rights for those who are sent to Beijing to face Chinese justice is a problem. "I think it's difficult," he says, "I think the Spanish government and the Spanish justice can not guarantee the guarantees. They can only apply the extradition treaty with China and they can not know if they will be punished or tortured. "
At the same time, the Hong Kong stock market fell nearly 1.8% on Wednesday due to the turmoil of the city as the parliament canceled the planned debate. But the authorities are determined to ensure that the law is in force as soon as possible.
The protesters promised to continue down the streets until the bill was scrapped.
"The only responsible thing to do now is that Carrie Lam withdraws the evil bill, or at least puts it aside to resolve the crisis," said pro-democracy legislator Fernando Cheung.
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