A mother whose pregnant daughter was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend in Taiwan has spoken for the first time after the suspect was released from jail almost a year ago, urging him to return to Taiwan to surrender.

Online news outlet Stand News published a series of articles on Monday after an interview with the mother of Poon Hui-wing, whose case triggered citywide anti-government protests last year.

The victim’s mother said the murder suspect should surrender. “Justice is not yet done to my daughter. I hope there will be justice soon so that she can rest in peace,” said Poon’s mother.

The mother’s plea was a reminder of last year’s protests that erupted out of Hongkongers' fears of being extradited to mainland China, whose human rights record has been consistently condemned by the international community.

In February last year, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam put forward a controversial legislation proposal that would enable criminal suspects to be sent back to Taiwan, as well as mainland China. But opposition to the proposed bill snowballed into mass civil unrest as protesters pressured the government to withdraw the proposed bill. Lam retracted the bill last September.

The number of arrestees related to the protests exceeded 10,000 this month, and more than 300 people have been accused of rioting. Dozens have reportedly absconded from Hong Kong, including 12 people who are presently detained by mainland authorities.

Poon was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend Chan Tung-kai during a trip to Taipei in February 2018. Her body was later found in a park near a metro station in the adjacent New Taipei City, after her father reported his daughter’s disappearance to Taiwan police in March. Chan fled to Hong Kong after the alleged incident.

In an interrogation conducted by Hong Kong police, Chan confessed he had strangled Poon from behind and crammed her body into a suitcase after she told him she had conceived an unborn child with her ex-boyfriend and showed him a video of her having sex with another man.

Taiwanese prosecutors then issued an arrest warrant in December 2018 after failing several times to negotiate a mutual legal assistance treaty with Hong Kong. Hong Kong does not have an extradition agreement with Taiwan.

Feeling “helpless, hopeless and sad,” Poon’s mother said that she had been in low spirits in the past two years and suffered from depression because she had recalled many times the way her daughter’s body was abandoned. She also said she felt guilty about the upheaval that was caused in the aftermath of her death.

“The image lingers. I remember the scene when dogs were munching on her body,” she said.

She said she had lost patience and called on Chan to fulfill his promise by going to Taiwan as soon as possible.

The at-large murder suspect also received a jail term of 29 months in March 2018 for dealing with proceeds of crime, since he withdrew money from his late girlfriend’s ATM card. He was released in October last year, saying that he would turn himself into Taiwan authorities.

Anglican priest Peter Koon has spoken on behalf of Chan since he was released and said Chan had always intended to surrender himself to Taiwan, but the plan was delayed because of Taiwan’s strict entry restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Koon added that he would fly to Taiwan with lawyers when the island reopened its borders, to discuss matters regarding Chan’s surrender, and that Chan is currently staying at a safe house provided by Hong Kong police.

In response to Apple Daily’s inquiry, the Security Bureau said that as he had finished serving his sentence, it had no power to extend his imprisonment or impose any coercive measure upon him, and that it would provide him with assistance if he wished to be tried in Taiwan.

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