HONG KONG: A man who inadvertently triggered Hong Kong’s huge protests after he murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan has agreed to return to the island to face justice, a clergyman who has visited him in prison said on Friday. The case sparked an ill-fated proposal by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government to ram through a sweeping extradition bill which would have allowed the city to extradite suspects to any territory, including the authoritarian mainland. Chan is currently serving a short jail sentence in Hong Kong after he was convicted earlier this year of stealing his girlfriend’s possessions during a trial in which he did not dispute murdering Poon Hiu-wing. The revelation comes as Hong Kong is bracing for a 20th consecutive weekend of protests. Protesters are demanding an independent inquiry into the police, an amnesty for those arrested and fully free elections, all of which have been rejected by Beijing and Hong Kong’s unelected leader.

Source: New Strait Times October 18, 2019 09:22 UTC