Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has once again spoken out on the current situation of the 12 Hong Kong people detained by mainland China. She said Tuesday (Sept. 15) that the 12 Hong Kong people arrested by mainland police at sea are not “repressed democracy activists” and “should be held legally accountable. Mrs. Lam said the 12 Hong Kong people were pro-democracy activists and were being repressed in order to divert attention from the issue.
The 12 were arrested Aug. 23 for “illegally” entering mainland China, allegedly aboard a speedboat from Hong Kong to Taiwan, where they hoped to seek political asylum. Beijing is now cracking down on pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong following the implementation of the city’s version of the National Security Law in late June.
All 12 are suspected of committing crimes in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Security Bureau said Monday. Ten of them have been charged with manufacturing or possessing explosives, arson, rioting, assaulting police or possessing offensive weapons. The 10 have been released on bail and are not allowed to leave Hong Kong, the report said.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau said another of the 12 is suspected of colluding with a foreign power under Hong Kong’s version of the national security law. The new national security law allows for the punishment of any act that China considers subversive, separatist, terrorist, or collusion with foreign powers.
In response to the passage and implementation of the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, the U.S. Congress passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act on July 14, 2020. Under Executive Order 13936 issued by President Trump on July 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned 11 individuals for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting its citizens’ freedom of speech or assembly, with Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam topping the list.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have not publicly identified the 12 individuals, but according to media reports, the suspected violator of Hong Kong’s version of the National Security Law is Lee Yu-hsien, a member of the Hong Kong NGO “Hong Kong Story” who was arrested by Hong Kong police on August 10 and released on bail after participating in an anti-sending campaign against China.
Mrs. Lam said before attending the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday that only one of the 12 is suspected of violating the Hong Kong version of the national security law, another is wanted by police for allegedly making or possessing explosives, and the remaining 10 are suspected of making or possessing explosives, arson, and assaulting police, respectively. She reiterated that the 12 would have to face trial in the mainland and that the Hong Kong government would provide “necessary and feasible” assistance to them and their families.
Earlier, relatives of some of the detainees held a press conference on Saturday (Sept. 12) to demand their urgent repatriation and to request that they be allowed to call home and consult with lawyers hired by their families rather than those appointed by the Chinese government.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday (Sept. 11) that the United States is deeply concerned about the 12 Hong Kong democracy activists detained in Guangdong, China. He said that since their arrest, Chinese authorities have denied the 12 Hong Kongers access to lawyers and failed to provide information about them, including their rights and the charges they may face.
In answering questions from the media ahead of the September 8 Executive Council meeting, Mrs. Lam said that an agreement had been signed between the SAR government and the mainland two years ago that the SAR government would be notified when Hong Kong residents were arrested in the mainland. She said the case was not simply a matter of bringing the people concerned back to Hong Kong, but that the 12 Hong Kong people would be dealt with under mainland laws if they were arrested for violating China’s laws.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday (Sept. 13) called the 12 detainees “separatists. Police in Shenzhen, China, said the same day that they were suspected of entering the country illegally, the first time Shenzhen police have issued a public notice on the matter. Hong Kong media reported that the 12 are currently being held at the Shenzhen Yantian Detention Center in Guangdong province. At least three mainland lawyers have been turned away by police when they tried to meet their clients at the detention center.
Before Tuesday’s executive session, Mrs. Lam was asked whether it was appropriate to label the 12 Hong Kong people as “separatists,” given that they have yet to face trial, and replied that she saw “no particular value” in debating the issue.
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