Chan Tong-kai, 20, confessed to killing his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan, but then fled to Hong Kong. Without a law, he cannot be extradited to Taiwan. An Anglican priest helped Chan redeem himself in prison and beg for forgiveness. New problems have emerged between Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Chan Tong-kai, 20, was released today from Pik Uk Correctional Institution. His case led to Hong Kong’s crisis, characterised by months of protests by youth and police violence.
Chan confessed to killing his pregnant girlfriend, 19-year-old Poon Hiu-wing, in February 2018 in Taiwan. After that he fled to Hong Kong where he is a permanent resident.
Since there is no legal agreement between the two jurisdictions, the young man could not be charged with murder in Hong Kong and could not be extradited to Taiwan.
Instead, he was convicted for money-laundering and sentenced to 18 months in prison. This led Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, to present an extradition bill to the local parliament (LegCo) last June.
However, the bill was rushed. And the lack of guarantees of fair trials in mainland China sparked opposition against the bill, which Lam formally withdrew in September and was finally scrapped by the LegCo today.
In prison, Chan received daily visits from Rev Peter Koon Ho-ming, an Anglican clergyman, who helped the young man redeem himself. His sentence was reduced for good behaviour.
This morning, upon leaving the prison with the priest (pictured), Chan bowed before those present, including journalists waiting for him, and begged for forgiveness for the pain he caused to his girlfriend and her family.
“I understand that I have done unamendable wrong, and I have caused great pain to Hiu-wing’s family,” he said. “I am willing to surrender myself to Taiwan to stand trial and serve my sentence. I hope her family can find relief in this and Hiu-wing can rest in peace.”
Now, the young man's tragic case risks being overshadowed by new political and legal problems.
For the Hong Kong government, Chan is free to go to Taiwan and surrender to the island authorities. But Taiwan, which previously didn't want to accept him, now says it can accept him if Taiwanese officials escort him.
However, as part of mainland China, Hong Kong cannot accept official representatives of Taiwan since Beijing considers it a Chinese province.
Meanwhile, the young man has moved to an undisclosed location helped by Rev Koon.