【逃犯条例】美国商会晤张建宗后未释疑　发声明8问港府

香港美国商会早前就逃犯条例修订提出异议及忧虑，担心会影响香港国际都会的声誉。商会昨日与政务司司长张建宗会面后，今日（30日）再发声明，直言修例的基本部分存在太多不确定因素，不应匆匆通过，更提出8条问题反问政务司司长办公室，包括“政府将如何确保香港的法治不会受到损害”。

张建宗与美国商会会面时表示，政府希望减轻修例对香港作为国际商业中心的地位产生负面影响的担忧。美国商会指，拟议修例的基本部分存在太多不确定因素，在提交立法会通过前，必须更广泛向香港社会解释。商会直言，香港还未准备好通过法案，“不明白为什么在它寻求解决的漏洞存在20年之后应该匆匆通过”，又相信香港仍然是法治和法律实践的卓越中心，应遵循适当的立法程序。

香港美国商会的8条问题：

1.据报道，有30名外交官表示他们不支持该条例，这可能重新审视其国家与香港的关系，政府如何计划解决问题，以避免任何负面影响，对香港国际社会的枢纽地位？2.香港3名资深法官公开宣布他们对提议的法案“深感不安”，并认为该法案“不可行”，因为修例忽视对中国大陆法律制度缺乏信任。如果该法案的两位主要守门人之一 - 法院 - 认为拟议的立法是行不通的，那么如果这项立法被强制推行，政府将如何确保香港的法治不会受到损害？3.政府没有澄清有权向中国大陆提出引渡请求的人的具体界限。虽然曾经有人说只有中央人民政府认可的人才可以提出引渡请求，但保安局也注意到“引渡请求将来自中国大陆法院，而这些法院在国际上并不像香港那样”，请予以澄清。4.保安局局长李家超强调，这些修正案“主要针对犯有严重罪行而不影响香港的新闻和言论自由的逃犯，并受到《基本法》和香港法律的保障”，如何在技​​术上得到保障？5.在政府对美中经济与安全审查委员会的答复中，据说修例有助于确立香港在打击罪案方面的声誉。香港为什么要冒著法治声誉的风险，以便在城市犯罪率相对较低的情况下获得“打击犯罪”的新名声？6.政府强调，修正案只关注逃犯，而不是当地普通公民。这将如何区分？7.律政司司长郑若骅表示，政府会考虑提出一项规定，即提出要求的司法管辖区会保证嫌疑人获得公平审讯。香港政府如何确保申请司法管辖权，以确保公平审讯？8.媒体报道指出，“保安局承认，随著引渡法的修订，中国政府可以要求冻结被认为是大陆逃犯的人的资产”。请提供更多详情，确保商业信心不会受到威胁。

香港美国商会声明原文如下：

Proposed Fugitive Offenders Ordinance

Hong Kong – May 30, 2019 – AmCham appreciated the opportunity to meet with Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung to explain our concerns about the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance on Wednesday May 29. The Chief Secretary said the government was keen to alleviate worries that the bill would have a negative impact on Hong Kong's status as an international business hub.

AmCham's Position on the Bill

AmCham feels that there are too many uncertainties in fundamental sections of the proposed legislation that must be addressed and explained to the broader Hong Kong community before tabling the bill for passage by the Legislative Council. Hong Kong is not ready to see this bill passed, and we do not see why it should be rushed through when the loophole it seeks to address has existed for 20 years. We believe that for Hong Kong to remain a center of excellence for the rule of law and legal practice that due legislative process is followed. We have asked the Chief Secretary’s office for answers to the following questions:

AmCham's Questions

1. With 30 foreign diplomats reportedly indicating that they do not support the ordinance and that this may lead to a review of their home countries relationship with Hong Kong, how does the government plan to address these concerns to avoid any negative impact on Hong Kong’s international hub status?

2. Three senior judges in Hong Kong publicly announced they are “deeply disturbed” by the proposed bill and saw the bill as “unworkable” because its amendments ignored the lack of trust in the legal system of mainland China. If one of the bill’s two main gatekeepers – the courts – feel the proposed legislation is unworkable, how will the government ensure that the rule of law in Hong Kong is not compromised if this legislation is forced ahead?

3. The government has not clarified specific boundaries for the person who holds the authority to make extradition requests from mainland China. While it was once said extradition requests could only be made by any recognized individuals from the Central People’s Government, the Security Bureau also noted that “extradition requests would come from Mainland China courts, which are not internationally held in the same regard as Hong Kong’s.” Please kindly clarify.

4. Secretary for Security John Lee highlighted that the amendments are “mainly aimed at fugitives who have committed serious crimes and do not affect Hong Kong’s freedom of the press and speech as safeguarded in the Basic Law and Hong Kong Law.” How will they be safeguarded technically?

5. In the government’s reply to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission it was said that the ordinance amendments help establish the reputation of Hong Kong in combating crimes. Why would Hong Kong want to risk its reputation for the rule of law in order to gain this new reputation of “combating crimes” with the city’s relatively low crime rate?

6. The government emphasized that the amendments focus only on fugitives, but not local ordinary citizens. How will this be differentiated?

7. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng said the government would consider including a requirement that a requesting jurisdiction would guarantee suspects a fair trial. How will the Hong Kong Government ensure the requesting jurisdiction guarantees a fair trial?

8. Media reports noted that the “Security Bureau admitted that, with the amendments to the extradition law, the Chinese government can request the freezing of the assets of a person deemed to be a fugitive from the mainland” Please provide more details on this to ensure business confidence is not at risk.