TUNG CHEE-HWA'S special adviser yesterday defended the Government's decision to deny visas to Chinese dissidents Wang Dan and Wei Jingsheng, saying their legal status on the mainland was unclear.
But legislators immediately accused Paul Yip Kwok-wah of evading the issue, saying Mr Wang and Mr Wei were on medical parole and were not fugitives.
Visas were also rejected for Liu Binyan, Chen Yizi, Yan Jiaqi, Gao Erbin, Liu Qing, Zhang Lun, Xu Bangtai, Yu Houcheng and Yang Jianli.
The 11 dissidents were invited by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China to a seminar to be held at the University of Hong Kong next Saturday and Sunday.
The event is being held to mark the 10th anniversary of the June 4 massacre and the 80th anniversary of the May 4 Movement.
Mr Yip said on Metro radio yesterday it was not inappropriate for the alliance to hold special commemorations for the anniversary of the massacre.
But he said the SAR administration had to take into account the visa applicants' legal status on the mainland.
