Dissident helpers aim to stay

SOME members of Operation Yellow Bird, the dissident escape route, would prefer to stay in the territory after the handover.

A reliable source said the group, which has smuggled hundreds of dissidents from the mainland, had been offered protection if it faced persecution after the handover.

He declined to say where and what kind of assurances were given, but stressed: 'They will not be forgotten. Their safety was already guaranteed.

'Whether they would take such protection depends on the situation of individuals, but such arrangements have been made.' He said the protection was unconditional and also covered members' families.

Beijing has said that those who helped dissidents escape should be brought to justice.

When asked whether this meant the group would continue to exist after the handover, the source said: 'It is hard to say.