Today marks three years since Chan Tong-kai, who was 19 at the time, allegedly murdered his pregnant girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing, who was 20, in a Taipei hotel room in 2018 before returning to Hong Kong.

Chan was arrested in Hong Kong and served a 29-month sentence in a Hong Kong prison for money laundering and was released on October 23, 2019. However, he was not tried over murder and manslaughter charges, which he admitted to the Hong Kong police under caution.

Last Christmas, Poon's mother bought Chan a pink suitcase of the same type, color and size in which Poon's body was hidden and disposed of in Taiwan as a reminder for Chan to take responsibility for his crime.

Poon's mother took the suitcase to St John's Cathedral on Christmas Day, in the hope of handing it to Reverend Peter Koon Ho-ming - who has been relaying messages for Chan - to pass on the "gift" for Chan.

"When I was purchasing the suitcase, I could not help but recall how my daughter was killed and how her body was disposed of in the bushes," the mother said. "The corpse hidden in the suitcase is my daughter, and the scene is still in my memory and cannot be erased."

She was unable to meet Koon that day and resorted to sending the suitcase with a letter to Koon through delivery.

"When Chan is looking at the suitcase, I hope he will be reminded of my daughter and will not forget the body that was hidden inside the suitcase," the mother said.

"I hope he recalls the murder and the disposal of the dead body and will bring along this suitcase with my daughter's soul to surrender himself to Taiwan. That will make him a true man," she added.

Koon issued a statement yesterday confirming receipt of the suitcase from Poon's mother on December 29, adding he told Chan about it.

"I have to emphasize that I totally understand the emotions of Poon's mother, but Taiwan authorities have yet to grant Chan a visa," Koon wrote.

Koon said Chan's lawyer in Taiwan repeatedly reached out to authorities.

"I thought the hardest thing would be persuading Chan to surrender himself, but I never imagined that it would be Taiwan refusing to grant Chan a visa," he said, urging Taiwan to do so as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Chan remains in a safe house arranged by the police.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said in response that Chan's case involves issues on the jurisdiction of Taiwan and Hong Kong, and that those issues have to be resolved by both governments before Chan could be allowed to enter Taiwan and surrender.

"We have called on the Hong Kong government once and again to take a pragmatic approach and respond to Taiwan's request for mutual legal assistance, and assist in bringing the suspect to justice," the council said yesterday.