> Ever noticed that none of the articles so far has actually articulated what's bad about the extradition bill?

To see why Hong Kong people think the extradition bill and its amendment is bad, let me cite a section from Leung Kai Chi (in Chinese [1], translated as [2] with help from Google translate):

> 3. Why do Hong Kong people oppose this amendment?

> Four reasons. First of all, after the abolition of the provisions of the "Central People's Government or any other part of the government of the People's Republic of China", not only can the suspects be handed over to Taiwan, but also can be handed over to mainland China, which will greatly undermine Hong Kong's unique position. After all, the judicial system in mainland China is not independent, and it is often politically affected and cannot be fair and just. For example, Zhao Lianhai, who was vocalized by the family members of the tainted milk powder, was jailed for being convicted of causing trouble. If the amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance is passed, it means that mainland China can borrow Hong Kong's judicial system to send Hong Kong people to mainland China for trial. Public opinion believes that this will make many people feel scared, and Hong Kong people will no longer enjoy the freedom guaranteed by the Basic Law.

> Secondly, Hong Kong is an international commercial city. Merchants from all over the world use Hong Kong as a regional headquarters to facilitate business in mainland China. They chose to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong instead of directly in mainland China because of the guarantees brought about by the independence of Hong Kong's judiciary. Without this guarantee, they have to face various legal problems. For example, mainland China's officialdom and business circles have various unspoken rules. Doing business in mainland China often touches some legal gray areas. If the amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance is passed, these businessmen will have to worry about whether they will be sent to mainland China for trial. Even businessmen who are cautious and never break the law will be worried that they will be accused of being accused of lawsuits and being guilty of crimes. In this regard, many chambers of commerce in Hong Kong have issued a statement against the revision, and some companies have cancelled over 10 billion business investment because of fear of economic prospects. Public opinion is more worried that foreign capital will move the regional headquarters to other places, and foreign governments are more likely to withdraw special preferential policies for Hong Kong (relative to mainland China). These developments will seriously hit the Hong Kong economy and affect people's livelihood.

> Thirdly, according to the existing provisions, whether it is a long-term agreement or a case transfer, it must be considered by the Legislative Council. According to the proposed amendment, the Chief Executive will no longer need the consent of the Legislative Council to initiate a case transfer. In this regard, public opinion believes that the supervision of the Chief Executive has been substantially removed, which has greatly reduced the protection of suspects. Since the Chief Executive of Hong Kong is not produced by Hong Kong people by one person, it will be difficult for the public to be held accountable if the relevant power is abused.

> Fourthly, this amendment has caused a lot of social controversy and it is reasonable to give the public sufficient time to understand, discuss and reflect their opinions. However, this time the Government only has 20 days of public consultation. After the Bar Association, the Law Society, and even some religious groups and educational groups that were relatively conservative in their usual positions, the government still insisted on proposing amendments and demanded that the Legislative Council pass as soon as possible, triggering a strong rebound in public opinion.

[1]: https://medium.com/@leungkaichihk/%E5%8F%8D%E9%80%81%E4%B8%A...
[2]: https://pastebin.com/6JqR1EsR