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BEIJING: The 12 Hong Kong people arrested at sea by mainland Chinese authorities last month were separatists, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday (September 13), in response to their counterpart’s characterization. arrest as an impairment of human rights.
The comment came a day after relatives of the detainees held a press conference in Hong Kong demanding the urgent return of the 12 who were intercepted by the Guangdong Coast Guard on August 23 on a boat bound for Taiwan.
Donning masks and hats to protect their identities, they made their first public call for help and information on the plight of their relatives, asking that they be allowed to consult attorneys appointed by their families and not the Chinese government and that they be allowed to call. to relatives. In Hong Kong.
READ: Families of captured Hong Kong activists demand their return from Chinese detention
READ: Hong Kong residents arrested at sea ‘will have to be treated’ by mainland China: Carrie Lam
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus tweeted on Saturday that her arrest was “another example of the deterioration of human rights in Hong Kong,” and called on the mainland authorities to “ensure due process.”
The arrests came about two months after the continental government imposed a security law in the special administrative region after months of demonstrations.
Hua Chunying from China replied in another tweet.
“Seriously ?! Fact Check: The 12 people were arrested for illegally crossing the border in waters. They are not democratic activists, but elements trying to separate #HongKong from China,” he wrote.
Shenzhen City Police, in their first notice since the arrest, said Sunday that the 12 Hong Kong citizens were under criminal detention on suspicion of illegally crossing the border. The investigation is ongoing, he said.
“The police will protect the legitimate rights and interests of suspected criminals in accordance with the law,” the police said.
Family members said on Saturday they had received no information about the allegations and that the Hong Kong government’s assistance had been insufficient.
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A spokesman for the city’s Immigration Department said staff were assisting in the case and were in regular contact with the families.
Hong Kong Executive Director Carrie Lam said Tuesday that the city government would provide assistance to arrested citizens.
Hong Kong has its own independent legal system and rule of law traditions that are very different from mainland China, where the justice system is ultimately controlled by the Communist Party.
