Extra'd in HK

If there's any direct relation between the reviled Hong Kong extradition bill and the Philippines, that came into clear focus when our former secretary of Foreign Affairs, Albert del Rosario, was held for six hours at the Hong Kong immigration border, then eventually deported to Manila.

Del Rosario, on his way to attend a shareholders' meeting, was denied entry to the mouth of China, even with a diplomatic passport (which, he asserts, he is entitled to under the law). The reason? The consensus is that it is because of the complaint he filed with the International Criminal Court against Chinese President Xi Jinping for crimes against humanity.

"Crimes against humanity?" That's the working theory, the conclusion arrived at due to the bullying in the South China/Western Philippine Sea committed by Chinese governmental forces (and as we have seen recently, even by private fishing vessels) and the degradation of the environment China caused by its incursions and illegal territorial occupation.

What does that extradition bill have to do with any of these? My conclusion is that if the Chinese government decides to hit back at any critic against Chinese territorial aggression (such as our nationalists, activist academics, Del Rosario, and even former ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales) by filing a bogus complaint before Chinese courts, well, it would be so easy to whisk them away from Hong Kong and into mainland China jails in the blink of an eye.

Never mind that these critics may probably never even know a complaint, in indecipherable Chinese characters, had been filed against them before a Chinese judge, or that they don’t have any intent of stepping into mainland Chinese territory, or were only passing through Kai Tak Airport. The moment Hong Kong immigration sees an extradition request from mainland China, it's whisking off time. Off to striped jammies in a nice penal facility serving noodles for you, sweetie. Think Huawei heiress and CFO Meng Wanzhou, arrested in Vancouver and now being extradited to America for fraud.

We would probably never hear of that accused critic again, until after a few years and a guilty plea is extracted. Much like Fan Bingbing, the Chinese actress accused of tax evasion, who disappeared from public view until she confessed her “crime.” Never mind she had millions of Weibo followers. Incommunicado until a guilty plea!

Such a scary scenario. Those who thought disappearances only happen to booksellers of banned literature, think again. It could even happen to powerful people holding diplomatic passports, in total contravention of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

This is why we need the rule of law. So a basic respect for human rights and freedom, recognition of every man's decency, is accorded. When we cannot count on that, when will we feel safe from the caprices of someone more powerful?

Our government doesn’t seem to be perturbed by this cavalier treatment though. The way I read the statements, it’s as if they were even victim-blaming. Says our presidential spokesman: Del Rosario knew what had happened when ombudsman Carpio-Morales was similarly detained (but not deported) in Hong Kong. Why then, the spokesman asks, would del Rosario even think of going to the same isle?

Well, why not? It's not as if they committed any crime. It's not as if they're entering the mainland - they're entering the Special Administrative Region.

With this proposed extradition bill, it looks like a lot of the “special” in Hong Kong will be going soon. Mainland China would have gained more control of its recalcitrant baby, and we should pay heed to our own government officials, who pose these seemingly insensitive questions. Apparently, these questions are not insensitive - just prescient.

The writing is on the wall. China is indeed tightening its grip on Hong Kong. We need to rethink our views on that island. Yes, even columnists for tiny newspapers in insignificant islands. Ahem.