RELATIVES of six Hong Kong residents held without trial on the mainland will make an urgent appeal to the United Nations next month. The families are being helped by human rights activist Ho Hei-wah, who has flown to Europe to present their appeal to the UN when it sits in Geneva to hear cases under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on November 1. It will be the first time the issue has been raised with the UN. The families want the UN's human rights committee to ask the SAR and Chinese governments to guarantee the detainees receive fair trials or immediate release. They will ask that pressure be exerted to ensure detainees are not ill-treated. The plea is expected to raise concerns for 86 SAR citizens held by mainland authorities over mainly commercial disputes. Nine new cases were received last month, the Security Bureau said. In all cases, detainees either have not received a fair trial or have not faced trial, legislators say. Among those being held is 63-year-old grandfather Lok Yuk-shing, who has been held in Dongsheng, Inner Mongolia, for 483 days. He was arrested on June 22 last year over an alleged $4 million debt owed to a local cashmere supplier by his former employer, Lau Cheung-wah, owner of a now defunct subsidiary of the listed Lai Sun Group. Mr Lok is now under residential surveillance at the Ih League Public Security Bureau. Under Chinese law, he should be released in January if no new evidence against him is found. He has been allowed only sporadic contact with his family although he is entitled to some degree of freedom under residential surveillance. Inner Mongolian officials are demanding $4 million bail plus $700,000 interest, or for a mainland citizen to stand surety for Mr Lok. But family members insist his release should be unconditional because he is innocent. The appeal to the UN committee will list six SAR detainees, who it is claimed were made scapegoats for the business failures or debts of their employers. They are Mr Lok, Siu Yum, Wan Hing-ming, and three men surnamed Lee, Wong and Leung. 'Some have been detained without a charge far beyond the eligible period of three months specified in the Chinese Criminal Laws,' according to the appeal, drafted by Mr Ho, director of the Society for Community Organisation. The families claim the Beijing and SAR governments have violated the UN human rights covenant and the covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. Mr Lok's daughter Cici is worried about her father's health as winter approaches. 'We will take him more clothes, medicine and money when we visit him next time,' she said. The SAR Security Bureau has been unable to obtain permission from Beijing to send delegates to visit detainees. LOK YUK-SHING Age 63 Male Detained since June 12, 1998 Location: Dongsheng, Inner Mongolia Reason: Alleged debt Bail demanded: $4.7 million SIU YUM Age: 49 Male Detained since: July 22, 1998 Location: Ning po city, Zhejiang Reason: Suspected fraud Bail demanded: $2 Million LEE Age: unknown, Male Detained since: October 10, 1998 Location: Jinhua city, Zhejiang Reason: Suspected fraud Bailed demanded: Unknown WONG Age: 53, Male Detained since: March 25, 1999 Location: Longmen county, Guangdong Reason: Commercial dispute Bail demanded: Unknown LEUNG Age : 42, Male Deatined since: April 3, 1999 Location: jiyuan, henan Reason: Commercial dispute Bail demanded: $1 Million WAN HING-MING Age: 41 Male Detained since: July 22, 1999 Location: Shenzhen Reason: Taking an unassigned delivery route Bail demanded: $300,000
