Two mainland activists who joined Sunday's protest march in the city disappeared after returning home, the group that organised their visit says.
Song Ningsheng and Zeng Jiuzi have not been heard from since they left Hong Kong on Tuesday to return to Jiangxi province, two days after they joined tens of thousands of participants in the protest to mark the 15th anniversary of the handover.
Their apparent disappearance has been linked to their encounter during the march with a man who claimed to be a reporter from Apple Daily. He asked where they were from and who organised their visit. He contacted them again a day later, with a message - go home and stop protesting to ensure your safety.
The organiser of their visit told Song and Zeng to contact him when they returned home, but has heard nothing since.
Liu Weiping, chairman of the group People's Rights Union of China, said Song and Zeng were among 100 of its members who joined the march. The pair marched behind the group's banner, which read, 'We are from the mainland', along with about half the group's members. The group campaigns against illegal detention.
Liu, who held a press conference in the city yesterday, said the 'reporter' approached members of the group and 'didn't go immediately after asking questions. He stayed for a while and then left, without taking any action. But I saw he had a camera and a computer with him'.
Liu had doubts about the man's intentions and told other protesters not to speak to him. The man contacted the pair again on Monday, when he told them they would be safe if they ended their protests and went home. Apple Daily reported the case on Tuesday, confirming that the man was not its reporter.
