China calls Hong Kong people arrested at sea 'separatists'
14 September, 2020
The 12 Hong Kong persons arrested at sea simply by mainland authorities last month were separatists, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry said about Sunday, in response to her U.S. counterpart’s characterisation of the arrest as a deterioration of human rights.
The comment came a evening after relatives of the detainees held a news conference in Hong Kong demanding the urgent return of the 12 who were intercepted by the Guangdong coast guard on Aug. 23 on a boat bound for Taiwan.
Donning masks and hats to shield their identities, they made their primary public appeal for support and information on the relatives’ plight, pleading for them to be allowed to consult lawyers appointed by their families rather than the Chinese federal government and to be permitted to call relatives in Hong Kong.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus tweeted on Saturday that their arrest was “another exemplory case of the deterioration of individual rights in Hong Kong”, and named on mainland authorities to “ensure credited process”.
The arrests came into being two months following the mainland government imposed a security law on the special administrative region following a few months of pro-democracy demonstrations.
China’s Hua Chunying responded in another tweet.
“Seriously?! Truth check: The 12 people had been arrested for illegally crossing the border in waters. They aren't democratic activists, but elements attempting to different #HongKong from China,” she wrote.
The Shenzhen city police, in its first notice because the arrest, on Sunday said the 12 Hong Kong citizens were under criminal detention on suspicion of illegally crossing the border. The investigation can be ongoing, it said.
“Police might protect the legitimate rights and pursuits of criminal suspects in accordance with law,” the authorities said.
The relatives on Saturday said that they had been presented no information on the allegations, and that the help of the Hong Kong federal government had been insufficient.
A good spokesperson for the city’s Immigration Department said personnel were assisting in the case and were in frequent connection with the families.
Hong Kong LEADER Carrie Lam on Tuesday said the location government would provide assistance to the arrested citizens.
Hong Kong has its own independent legal program and rule-of-laws traditions that are vastly not the same as mainland China, where in fact the justice system is usually ultimately handled by the Communist Get together.
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