Why Snowden was smart to choose Hong Kong. Very smart

[Swagman]

Rudi Cohrssen | Jun 20, 2013

Was Hong Kong a smart choice of refuge for US surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden? Victorian barrister Rudi Cohrssen looks at the tricky issue of extradition.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed in detail what many suspected, but understated for fear of being considered conspiracy theorists. George Orwell’s 1984 is back on The New York Times’ bestseller list, and the idea of a dominant surveillance state is going mainstream. Big Brother exists, it seems, and according to FBI director Robert Mueller, the US will aggressively track down Snowden and hold him accountable for leaking the details of the National Security Agency’s Prism program.

Snowden has fled from the US to Hong Kong, an interesting choice, which might turn out to be a smart choice. The US has arrangements with most countries for the return of those it considers fugitives. This can take the form of a formal extradition treaty or ad hoc arrangements for rendition or deportation. But Hong Kong is unlikely to allow the rendition of Snowden to the US. Given the nature of the revelations, and their direct impact on both Hong Kong and China, Hong Kong authorities will probably maintain Snowden’s immigration status if an extradition request is pending. Deporting a person in the face of an extradition request also tends to demonstrate a lack of integrity on the part of both governments involved.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/06/20/why-snowden-was-smart-to-choose-hong-kong-very-smart/

[Life Long Dem]

1. 90 day visa expires in August

Then it's the cops show theme. "Whatcha gonna do when they come for you".

[JDPriestly]

2. Do you think that Hong Kong might give him asylum as a political

refugee? That would be very strange. But I can't blame the world for being very annoyed with this program. I am also annoyed.

[Life Long Dem]

3. He could end up running

Scenario #1 He applies to be a refugee and is spirited out of the city within 90 days

"The UNHCR is duty-bound to determine if he's a mandate refugee. If by some miracle they're able to do that within 90 days and say that he is a refugee, and secondly are able to find a place that will take him, then he could be off to that place," Young said.

Speaking hypothetically, a protection officer for the UNHCR in Hong Kong said that Snowden would not be given preferential treatment. "We prioritize older cases," Nazneen Farooqi said, according to the South China Morning Post. Claims through the UNHCR have been known to take years.


Scenario 4: He makes a run for it...

"If Snowden was able to make it onto a vessel, U.S. authorities would be limited in their ability arrest him, even if they were on board, said Dr Zhao Yun, associate professor at the University of Hong Kong."


Scenario 5: U.S. issues an arrest warrant and he's detained. This could be the worst case scenario for Snowden..

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/20/world/asia/snowden-scenarios-hong-kong/index.html

[area51]

4. Wondering

Wasn't part of what Snowden leaked mentioned by the PBS show "Now" back in '07?

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/307.html

[bemildred]

5. He is clearly much more sophisticated about how things really work than Assange.

Assange was partying in Sweden and boinking groupies when he should have long since been in a safe spot with his needs about him. Snowden at least realizes that he is starting a secret war.