Academics have not been deterred from taking part in overseas exchanges despite the detention of Hong Kong scholars on the mainland, Mr Tung said yesterday. Legislators were told he had inquired into two cases in which local academics were arrested, and a third in which the charred remains of a pro-democracy activist were found in Shenzhen. Mr Tung said legal proceedings against the two detainees for spying and illegal publication of books were continuing, while the Shenzhen public security authority was investigating the third case. He was replying to a question by non-affiliated legislator Henry Wu King-cheong. City University associate professor Dr Li Shaomin has been detained since February 25 and was charged with spying for Taiwan last month. Dr Xu Zerong, an SAR permanent resident working for Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, was reportedly arrested in August for articles allegedly exposing Communist Party secrets. SAR democracy activist Leung Wah vanished after being lured to Shenzhen in November. His charred body was dumped outside a hospital.
