HONG KONG EXTRADITION BILL 2019

To:     The Right Honourable Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China Ms. Carrie Lam

From: Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Date: August 29, 2019

RE:     HONG KONG EXTRADITION BILL 2019

Suggestion:

Hon. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong let me start by paying my respects to you and through you to. “One Country Two Systems” structure compels Hong Kong to operate currently under different legal system than that of Mainland China. You published the extradition bill on March 29, 2019 and first reading on April 3, 2019 which will destroy Hong Kong legal independence because extradition bill is another attempt for China to take away the Hong Kong independent legal system that China has agreed for Hong Kong to keep until 2047. Thus, the people of Hong Kong marched their protest against the bill on June 9, 2019. Hong Kong protests are still continuing. The silence of your government leads me to believe you have no plan to permit a peaceful resolution. If you are peace makers you would be engaging in dialogue with protesting factions and seeking a compromise resolution. However, I am rooting for the Hong Kong people and hope for a peaceful conclusion so that your government will take real actions to address the protester’s problems and concerns. As an Analyst, it is not as if extradition treaties are unusual. If I am not mistaken, the UK has extradition treaties with many countries. Western countries look to establish extradition bill. When China is doing so within its own territories, Hong Kong is objecting. It is futile. China has every right to request the deportation of criminal offenders that are harbouring in their territories. It would come as a bigger surprise that mainland China and Hong Kong not to have a treaty till today. What I feel that this is just the catalyst for deeper division which may manifest in the future or probably soon? We should not allow the protesters to succeed in the long run because protesters may shatter the Hong Kong system of checks and balance, undermining the Hong Kong rule of law and shredding the pillars of Hong Kong piece by piece. It may happen at a later date or probably soon if Hong Kong protesters are succeeded. I firmly believe that extradition bill is must so that Hong Kong stands as an example of democratic Chinese state. If Hong Kong cannot the extradition bill Hong Kong might go the way of Taiwan in the future. The extradition bill is intended to increase the control of the CPC over territory. IMHO, extradition bill is must at the same time it should not undermine the Hong Kong legal system. Hong Kong extradition bill ensure that Hong Kong has an independent law enforcement and judiciary until 2047.

Hon. Chief Executive, Hong Kong is one of Asia’s leading services economies because of its judicial system and the trust international investors place in it. If the Hong Kong is working with China there is so much to gain in working together. If the Hong Kong is not ready to work with China there is so much to lose because there is a potential for an immense amount of capital flight from Hong Kong. Hong Kong flight capital is probably over 1 trillion. If they start moving their wealth to safer jurisdictions for instance, Singapore, Singapore could be ultimate beneficiary. In my opinion, supporting Hong Kong autonomy is quite important but there are ways to do it.  Hon. Xi Jinping would be wise to restart the negotiating process with your government because Hong Kong as an international money and investment centre is very relevant and structured to leverage Hong Kong’s tremendous entrepreneurial capabilities. Moreover, Hon. President Xi Jinping genuinely supports human rights and democracy. He must not treat the Hong Kongers as subject of a colonial China and fully understand about Hong Kong affairs. Both Hong Kong and China will lose an invaluable world symbol and financial centre if Hong Kong protest continues. The respect for law and respect for democracy has been good for all fields such as good for nation, good for business, good for politics, good for peace and good for all fields. All nations and jurisdictions should one day function through proper accountability to its people for long term peace and prosperity of the world. We are very long way from that goal but that should remain our goal. Every nation should value the international treaties and the achievement of the joint declaration. The obvious solution here would be to give the people of Hong Kong their full independence for couple of years so that they will acknowledge Hong Kong as a valued ally of China. A healthy and symbiotic relationship would be far preferable than backward barbarism.   

    

Hon. Chief Executive, when I saw print media’s hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers participate in a peaceful march I assume that Hong Kong is a peaceful Chinese community. I thought Hong Kong protesters are setting the example for the rest of the world. When I saw videos, Hong Kongers attacking with clubs and sticks while on their way home. My first assumption was incorrect. Hong Kongers are not peaceful people or outside forces are causing the disruption. Hong Kong protesters have been insisting that unless you direct the judiciary branch to release all those arrested during the protests despite the violent acts they committed against the public property and police officers. In my opinion, criticising the protestors as violent spoiled brats worked better. The people of Hong Kong have the right and responsibility to have political differences and differences on social issues but not through violence. If we insist on characterising such behaviour as fighting for pro democracy, we should make China truly democratic by abolishing separation of power under the Chinese Constitution but there is an agreement signed by China and the UK that Hong Kong can retain their system until 2047. Thus, culture of patience will excels here.  I want both Hong Kong and China that respects people of all faiths and no one ought to ever belittle another human being made in God’s image. The people of Hong Kong must understand that the Hong Kong police does not fire tear gas nor use force for peaceful protests. When the protesters turn violent or tension that Hong Kong police would resort to tear gas and rubber bullets. The real Police Officers cannot stand the tension that was there. We need to solve the current chaos. The riots should be elevated to very low level status immediately. Your government should not be allowed police officers to be injured in the riots. If Hong Kong firms or any foreign funds that provide financial support to trouble makers should be investigated immediately. Cutting off the financial support to the trouble makers will help to resolve the problem immediately. Your government should enact a special law to monitor the trouble makers who are supported by Hong Kong firms or foreign funds. If any trouble makers are not local residents they should be deported or prison sentenced after giving evidence. If any trouble makers use violence or throw petrol bombs in public places like train station or bus station or shopping malls or airport to prevent public from travelling on their work or business, they should be bringing them before Hong Kong special courts which have the power to impose immediate prison sentences without trials. This kind of act is as a deterrent to other trouble makers from riots. It is your government to protect the general public and Hong Kong economy.

Hon. Chief Executive, China is a great nation and its people can achieve anything but it lacks openness and democracy. Majority of the people on the earth want democracy and openness. Hong Kong is part of China. China has a regiment permanently resident on the island. China is entitled to protect its sovereignty from the nefarious actions of any foreign powers. I want Hon. Xi Jinping try to help Hong Kong but not militarily. The protest has increasingly turned violent if China were to deploy paramilitary police force to crackdown the protest. China would be engaging in dialogue with protesters seeking a peaceful resolution. It helps Hong Kong people understand the mainland Chinese way of doing things to integrate peacefully. We all hope that the resolution to the current dispute is a peaceful one. We should not forget how China supported Hong Kong. China supported Hong Kong in many ways such as Hong Kong is not needed to send its tax money to north, it opened up tourism to Hong Kong to lift Hong Kong out of recession and it curtailed fresh water supply to its main cities and guaranteed that people of Hong Kong got their water and the list goes on. Hong Kong protesters are look like spoiled children like the Hon. Trump administration.  The US State Department stated that the extradition bill could damage the Hong Kong Business environment but they don’t think that Hon. Trump trade war has most effect on the business environment of Hong Kong or on the business environment of the world. 

Hon. Chief Executive, I heard from many international media’s that the cost of living is very high and unaffordable housing in Hong Kong. I think your government is maintaining high property prices to generate more revenue from property sale. That is why Hong Kongers are less happy today. Your government should look into unaffordable housing and cost of living matter seriously. When the “two countries one system” agreement expires, Hong Kong’s political and legislative systems will be aligned with mainland China and Hong Kong will become just another largest city of China. Both Hong Kong and China knows the 50 year of transition is not going to be extended. Hong Kong and China are matters to the world economy. Protest is not only damage the Hong Kong and China economy but it damage the world economy too.  

Thank you very much for your kind attention respected Ma’am. 

Respectfully yours,

Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Tamil Nadu