Activists blast speed in carrying out sentences and warn other SAR residents

HUMAN rights activists yesterday blasted Cheung Tze-keung's rushed execution as barbaric and expressed grave concerns that other Hong Kong residents also might fall victim to 'unfair' trials on the mainland.

'There was no real appeal. They didn't give anyone a chance to intervene,' Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor director Law Yuk-kai said. 'There are many people sentenced to death who were not executed at the first instance. In this case, there was a lot of controversy regarding jurisdiction, an open trial, due process and any possible alternative to the sentence. In light of this, it was wrong of them to rush a case through a closed-door hearing.' The execution of Cheung and four of his cohorts was carried out less than two hours after the appeal verdict was announced yesterday morning.

While Cheung might have been guilty, human rights groups said, he did not receive a fair and open trial by an independent and competent court.

Mainland authorities did not allow the media to attend the nine-day, closed-court trial or the appeal hearing.

Little evidence was presented to prove he planned the kidnappings in the mainland, human rights activists said. The kidnappings were at the centre of the controversy surrounding the case as Cheung allegedly committed them in Hong Kong, raising the argument the mainland should not be allowed to try someone for crimes committed in Hong Kong.

Strong criticism was also levelled against the Hong Kong Government, which rights campaigners said had failed in its responsibility to ensure its citizens' rights.

Alan Abrahams, chairman of Amnesty International's Hong Kong section, said: 'What alarms us is the Government seems incapable of recognising the problem. The crimes for which he's been executed were committed in Hong Kong.' What the Government should have done was make a strong appeal to mainland authorities to transfer Cheung back to Hong Kong to face trial for the Hong Kong-based crimes and to ensure he had a fair trial.