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WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (September 11) that the United States is deeply concerned by the 12 Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China’s Guangdong Province, saying they have been denied access to lawyers and that local authorities have not provided information about his welfare or the charges against him.
The United States questions the commitments of Hong Kong leaders to protect citizens’ rights, Pompeo said in a statement. The activists were arrested about two weeks ago off the coast of Hong Kong, according to the statement.
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In late August, the provincial Coast Guard Bureau said in a post on its social media site that it had arrested at least 10 people after intercepting a ship off the coast of southern Guangdong province. Hong Kong media, citing unidentified sources, said the 12 were heading to Taiwan to apply for political asylum.
Hong Kong Executive Director Carrie Lam said earlier this week that if “they were arrested for committing crimes on the mainland, then they should be dealt with according to the laws of the mainland.”
“We question Chief Executive Lam’s stated commitment to protect the rights of Hong Kong residents and call on the authorities to ensure due process,” Pompeo said.
“FIRM OPPOSITION”
On Saturday, the Hong Kong office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed “strong opposition” to Pompeo’s comments, demanding that US politicians stop interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs.
“The United States has its own economic and social problems, frequent racial conflicts, and a large number of coronavirus infections and deaths. It should have focused on managing internal affairs,” he said in a statement.
In Hong Kong, the families of six of the 12 detained activists donned masks and hats to protect their identities and demanded the urgent return of their relatives. It was the first public appeal by families for help and information about their plight.
The arrests come as local activists and politicians fear a worsening crackdown in Hong Kong as a comprehensive new national security law imposed by Beijing in July takes effect.
