The mother of a woman allegedly murdered in Taiwan has called on Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam to ensure the killer can be sent back to the island to face justice.

Her daughter, Poon Hiu-wing, was killed by her then-boyfriend Chan Tong-kai during a trip to Taiwan in 2018. Chan fled back to Hong Kong but the city’s prosecutors could not charge him with murder. After being jailed on less serious charges related to the case, Chan was released last October and has since been living under Hong Kong police protection.

Poon’s mother told Apple Daily that the government had a duty to facilitate Chan’s return to Taiwan. “As a responsible government, it should not watch from the sidelines,” she said in a voice message.

Lam said on Tuesday that Chan was a “free man” since he had finished his jail term, and she would not comment on the arrangements provided by the police. The chief executive said last week that she could see “no benefit” in the government intervening in the matter.

Lam’s remarks were a U-turn from her stance last year, when she justified proposing an amendment bill to Hong Kong’s extradition law so as to resolve Poon’s case by sending Chan back to Taiwan. The bill was later withdrawn after up to two million Hongkongers took to the streets in protest.

“Two years ago, you told me that your original intention for the extradition amendment bill was to help my daughter. Why is your intention so different now? What happened to your zeal?” Poon’s mother said of Lam.

The chief executive should directly meet with Chan to ascertain his intentions, Poon’s mother said. She urged Chan to surrender himself to Taiwanese authorities and take responsibility for his actions.

Poon’s mother also criticized pro-Beijing lawmakers Starry Lee and Holden Chow, who used the murder case as a pretext to support the amendment legislation in 2019 but had since stopped helping the Poon family.

“Have they done any follow-up? Why didn’t they pick up my calls or respond to my messages?” she said, demanding the duo to give an explanation.

Lee was recently invited to host a current affairs program on the news channel of Now TV. Poon’s mother told Apple Daily that she would refuse future interview requests from Now News out of dissatisfaction with Lee.

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