Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam may as well fool Hongkongers by granting the 5 demands of them. As rightly put by Senator Marco Rubio, "What began as a protest against an unjust extradition bill backed by China has now become a fight for Hong Kong’s autonomy and future." What most Hongkongers in fact desire and "deserve" is "real autonomy" -- to borrow Senator Nancy Pelosi's words -- i.e. freedom from China colonization, which Beijing will never grant, for it implies independence or separatism. What follows shows how the 5 demands can easily be met at the expense of true Hongkongers:
1. Establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into police brutality: Carrie Lam may appoint an outwardly fair-minded but inwardly pro-CCP retired judge to head the commission. The inquiry is supposed to last 3 to 5 years. By then, all momentum of the current revolution will have been gone.
2. Implementation of Universal Suffrage for Legislative Council & Chief Executive Elections: This can also be done, provided that any eligible candidate has to be a supporter of the Basic Law, and his/her eligibility shall be determined by the returning officers appointed by the Electoral Affairs Commission as it is now. For example, anyone who has ever shouted the slogan, "Free Hong Kong; Revolution now," must have the intention to overthrow the Hong Kong Government and has thus violated the Basic Law. Candidates like this shall be disqualified.
3. Complete Withdrawal of the Extradition Bill: This has already been done, except that it is now replaced by the Emergency Regulations Ordinance invoked by Carrie Lam in enacting the Anti-Mask Law.
4. Retraction of the "riot" characterisation: Carrie Lam may retract it, but the Department of Justice, as an independent department, may still treat the anti-extradition-law movement as a riot.
5. Release and exoneration of arrested protesters: They may be released tentatively and arrested later on again for different charges.
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