Visitor rights call for HK people held over border
A human rights activist yesterday urged the Hong Kong government to fight for visitor rights for residents detained on the mainland.
The appeal came ahead of today's security panel meeting to discuss the system agreed on by Hong Kong and the mainland to help detainees. It also came after Hong Kong-based The Straits Times reporter Ching Cheong was confirmed as being under house arrest in Beijing over spying allegations.
'The rights of being visited are the basics that the government should fight for,' said Law Yuk-kai, director of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor. He said such visits could be coupled with medical and legal services.
Hong Kong and the mainland reached a consensus in 2000 to set up a reciprocal notification system to provide help for Hong Kong residents detained over the border.
The system was expanded in 2003 to cover cases concerning customs authorities, mainland security agencies and abnormal deaths. By the end of April, there were 57 Hong Kong residents detained, on trial or on bail on the mainland.
Democratic Party legislator James To Kun-sun, chairman of the security panel, expected today's meeting to focus on how the Hong Kong government has helped in Ching's case. 'Apart from ensuring that Ching is treated in a fair and open manner, the government should explain whether it has tried to seek an explanation why the mainland delayed notifying Ching's relatives over his detention,' he said.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association yesterday said a signature campaign would be launched this week among reporters and former journalists. A statement would be published in newspapers calling on the government to ensure Ching was afforded basic rights.
A paper submitted to the security panel said there had been 3,211 notifications involving 2,439 residents up to the end of April.
