The 12 Hong Kong youths suspected of taking speedboats to Taiwan were intercepted by the Chinese Marine Police on their way to the Yantian Detention Centre in Shenzhen for more than 120 days, and the Yantian District Procuratorate in Shenzhen announced last Wednesday that it would formally prosecute 10 of them, and the other two minors would have a closed hearing to decide whether to proceed with the prosecution.
Some of the families took advantage of the winter solstice on Monday to the Hong Kong Immigration Department building outside, to the Chinese and Hong Kong governments published an open letter, requesting open court hearings and live webcast, urging the Hong Kong government to assist families to go to China to hear the trial.
The open letter said that the more obstruction to the families’ request to attend the trial, the more it shows that China’s “sunshine justice” is unfair and unjust. A number of pro-democracy district councilors recently set up street stations in various districts, calling on the public to write Christmas cards to send their best wishes to the 12 Hong Kong people.
The 12 Hong Kong youths who participated in last year’s anti-China campaign, including 11 men and one woman, aged between 16 and 30, who are suspected of breaking the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, including “Hong Kong Story” member Lee Yu-hin, were intercepted by the Chinese Marine Police at the end of August on their way to Taiwan by speedboat and detained in Shenzhen Yantian Detention Centre for more than 120 days, but the lawyers appointed by their families have not been able to meet with them.
Shenzhen Yantian District Procuratorate formally charges 10 Hong Kong people
The Shenzhen Yantian District Procuratorate announced last Wednesday (Dec. 16) that 12 Hong Kong people, including Deng Kaiyan and Qiao Yingyu, are suspected of “organizing others to cross the border”; eight other Hong Kong people are suspected of “crossing the border” and have been formally charged; while Liao Ziwen and Huang Linfu will be heard in camera by the Procuratorate as they are minors to decide whether to not prosecute them.
As the announcement did not mention the date of the trial, whether the trial is open to the public, in the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Hong Kong people going to Shenzhen must accept 14 days of quarantine and other preventive measures, the authorities did not inform the family whether they can go to observe the arrangements.
Family members sent an open letter to the Hong Kong government to help go to China to hear the trial
Two families of detained Hong Kong people, Mrs. Wong Wai-yin and Mr. Lee Tsz-yin’s father, as representatives, took advantage of the winter solstice, the traditional family reunion holiday, on Monday (Dec. 21) outside the Hong Kong Immigration Department building to issue an open letter to the governments of China and Hong Kong, demanding that the trial be open and webcast, urging the Hong Kong government to help the families go to China to hear the trial.
Mrs. Wong Wai-yin read out the open letter, saying that the Shenzhen Yantian District People’s Procuratorate announced the formal indictment of 10 Hong Kong people on December 16, nearly a week later, the authorities have not provided the families with the indictment or any case files, the families have no way to know the details of the charges faced by their children and husbands and sentencing recommendations.
Blocking family members from attending the hearing shows the injustice of “sunshine justice”
However, they are concerned that the Chinese authorities will use the epidemic as an excuse and administrative measures to prevent the families from attending the hearing and meeting with their family members who have been detained for more than 100 days, which would be the same as a secret trial.
The family urged the Hong Kong government and the Chinese authorities to make appropriate arrangements to ensure that they could attend the court in Shenzhen as scheduled, the open letter said, adding that the more the family’s request to attend the hearing is blocked, the more it shows the injustice of China’s “sunshine justice.
Mrs. Wong said, “The Chinese judicial system cannot be trusted, and even the right to choose one’s own lawyer to defend oneself is not guaranteed. The situation is precarious as they face years of Chinese-style imprisonment. The more the families’ requests to attend the hearing are obstructed, the more the injustice of China’s ‘sunshine justice’ is demonstrated.”
Family members request that the Hong Kong government send an escort to Shenzhen to attend the trial
The letter demands that the trial be made public and webcast live; that the families be guaranteed the right to attend the trial and be informed of the date of the trial no less than 20 days before it begins; that the test results be used in lieu of the two-week isolation requirement for the families of the 12 Hong Kong people entering Shenzhen; that the families be provided with a copy of the indictment and a transcript of the meeting, and that the names of the court panel and prosecutors be made public; that the identity and contact information of all the lawyers assigned by the government be made known; and that the right of the 12 people to defend themselves be protected and that the families appoint lawyers to provide defense.
The open letter said that the 12 Hong Kong people are Hong Kong citizens, the Hong Kong government is responsible for safeguarding their personal safety and basic rights, the family requested the Hong Kong government to send an officer to accompany them to Yantian, Shenzhen, and accompany the family to observe the trial, if they can not get the authorities to ensure that they will be notified of the trial date earlier, the family can only plan to go north as soon as possible, waiting for the case to be heard in Shenzhen.
Mrs. Wong said: “But the incident so far, the Hong Kong government not only suspected of assisting the Chinese authorities to set up a bureau to send 12 Hong Kong people to China, but also ignored the family’s request. We ask the Hong Kong government to send an escort to Yantian, Shenzhen, and accompany the family to observe the trial and take responsibility as a medium of communication between us and the Chinese side to ensure that the family can be informed of the court date and attend the trial.”
Husband left Hong Kong indifferent mood father hope to reunite soon
Mrs. Wong said that from the end of August her husband Wong Wai-yin was detained in Yantian Detention Centre, so far she has sent six letters to Wong Wai-yin, but they were not received, she had asked the official lawyer, but has not been able to contact the official lawyer’s mainland cell phone number was suspended on Sunday (December 20), she hopes that the Hong Kong Immigration Department can forward letters, so that her husband knows that his family is always thinking about him, hoping that he can come home soon, especially during the holidays, more feel the absence of a person at home has become cold, indifferent mood.
Mrs. Huang said, “This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival or, following today’s winter solstice are good, we already do not know why the past and present years, because there is less a person at home, the family became very quiet, our hearts are very indifferent.”
Mrs. Huang said in an interview with the Voice of America that her husband, Huang Weiran, has been away from home for more than 120 days, and she will continue to keep watch because her love for her husband makes her continue to persevere.
Mrs. Wong said, “Because he is my husband well, we have the emotional foundation, because it is a family no matter what, life is not as good as things taste eight or nine it.”
Detained Hong Kong people Mr. Li Zixian’s father Mr. Li met with the media, recalled that last year and his son’s family of four to spend the winter solstice, but this year his son was detained in Shenzhen, Mr. Li described his mood is very empty and worried, hope that 12 Hong Kong people in good health, can return to Hong Kong as soon as possible to reunite with their families.
Democratic street stations send Christmas wishes to 12 Hong Kong people
A number of democratic district councilors and social activists, printed a large number of Christmas cards, Friday (December 25) before Christmas, set up street stations in various districts in Hong Kong, calling on the public to write Christmas cards to 12 Hong Kong people to send their blessings.
Tsuen Wan District Councilor Shum Ao Fai and localist social activist Zou Jiacheng, last Saturday (December 19) outside the Tai Wai MTR station set up street stations, Zou Jiacheng interviewed by the Voice of America, said he hoped that through writing Christmas cards and other actions to maintain the attention of all sectors of the 12 Hong Kong people fervor.
Zou Jiacheng said: “The main thing is that we want to maintain the heat of concern, that is, Christmas cards and Mid-Autumn Festival cards are actually said, in fact, we simply will not believe that these cards can be sent to 12 (Hong Kong people) hands, and may even go to the door of Yantian Detention Center may not be sent, but does not mean that we do not need to do, because it may go to the Chinese customs may be Detention, in fact, among it (the Chinese government) are some pressure, as well as the authorities are going to see these phenomena, is a few more Hong Kong people are going to continue to care about this matter, we keep the concern in fact, the authorities will not continue to slacken down, will go according to their time limit, is going to be faster to complete this matter, I think many Hong Kong people, especially the family, as soon as possible to complete this case the better.”
Students hope that the public trial can not let 12 Hong Kong people were disappeared
The government’s decision to send the 12 Hong Kong people to China is unfair, and the Chinese authorities must hold an open trial to prevent them from disappearing.
Chole said: “I think it is very unfair ah, now Hong Kong or Hong Kong, can not be caught back to the mainland, what there will be in Hong Kong trial, and can not not be open, as well as must reveal the message, where they (12 Hong Kong people), can not be so somehow let them disappear, so I hope that people also continue to focus on them.”
Family members said the public and international attention to 12 Hong Kong people have helped
Mr. Li, the father of detained Hong Kong resident Li Zi Xian, said in an interview with the Voice of America that both Hong Kong people and the international community’s attention to the 12 Hong Kong people would be helpful because the Chinese government has signed the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, hoping that the Chinese government will focus on human rights and a fair trial.
Mr. Lee said: “I think there must be help, that is, I hope that (China) the domestic government, because the domestic government has signed the human rights law, if it is focused on the Chinese justice, should give them (12 Hong Kong people) a fair trial. Because we have now commissioned their own lawyers, (authorities) have not allowed, all know, because we have spoken out, and now they (authorities) to the so-called official lawyers and not let us know (their identity), to observe (trial) and not allowed, so we today (December 21) on the petition letter, hope that they let us go (Shenzhen) to observe, hope that China really have the law. “
12 Hong Kong people case let the world see whether China has sunshine justice
Mr. Li also said that the trial of the 12 Hong Kong people can let the world see whether China’s sunshine justice is convincing.
Mr. Li said: “They (12 Hong Kong people) even a fair trial, you can not talk about ‘sunshine justice’, that is, if they really have a fair trial this time, they that 12 Hong Kong people, if a fair judgment out of the results are reasonable, is to have them (China) (sunshine) justice, if If they are not reasonable, they (authorities) power to say what they (12 Hong Kong people) are, and the verdict is published only after, so how will there be (sunshine) justice it? Then I do not know now there will be a shift in the second charge, that is, for the time being know is the charge of this smuggling across the border, that is, for the time being know, because it (Procuratorate) open, so we family members hope to observe, as well as request them to notify us earlier, because now there is an epidemic to isolate 14 days, so just we are so to speak, on the hope of early learned (trial date), we will go up ( Shenzhen) to observe the trial and see if China really has sunshine justice for the whole world to know.”
Pompeo urges Chinese authorities to immediately release 12 Hong Kong residents
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday (Dec. 19) urged Chinese authorities to immediately release 12 Hong Kong residents in a Twitter post. Pompeo said that the 12 Hong Kong people’s so-called “crime” (crime), only to escape tyranny. He criticized the Chinese Communist Party for turning Hong Kong into the East Berlin of the past and preventing people from seeking freedom elsewhere.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong government responded that the 12 fugitives were wanted in Hong Kong for a number of serious crimes, and that 10 of them had been charged and released on court bail pending trial, but were not allowed to leave Hong Kong. However, they did not stay in Hong Kong to face the legal responsibility, but to sneak out of Hong Kong in an illegal way to avoid legal responsibility.
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