As a result of rising tension with China over the controversial National Securtiy Law introduced by the country, Britain on Monday decided to suspend extradition treaty with Hong Kong. The law gives China sweeping powers and has been perceived as a threat to basic freedom of the former British colony.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, annonced on Monday that the National Security Law has changed the basic foundation of the extradition treaty arragements with the Hong Kong. He mentioned that the UK is concerned abour Articles 55 to 59 which has caused fears that anyone extradited to Hong Kong from Britain could be sent on to mainland China with ease.
“The National Security Law does not provide legal or judicial safeguards in such cases, and I am also concerned about the potential reach of the extra-territorial provisions. So I have consulted with the Home Secretary, the Justice Secretary and the Attorney General, and the government has decided to suspend the extradition treaty immediately and indefinitely,” said Raab in his parliamentary statement.
“I should also tell the House that we would not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless, and until clear and robust safeguards which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the national security legislation,” he added.
Unaware of the nature of new law and “considerable uncertainity” about the way in which it will enforced, the minister issued a precautionary warning, saying, ” The Untied Kingdom is watching. And the whole world is watching.”
The extradition treaty means that, if someone in Hong Kong is supected of a crime in the UK, then the British authorities has the right to ask Hong Kong to hand them over — and vice versa.
Meanwhile, in their recent move, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had offered residency rights to 350,000 UK passport holders and 2.6 million other eligible citizens of Hong Kong to come to the UK for five years. He also added that after a further year, they will be able to apply for citizenship.
