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Secretary minister John Lee Ka-chiu was barracked by opposition lawmakers after appearing before the Legislative Council on Wednesday. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong’s security chief rejects calls to request return of 12 city fugitives held in mainland China, warns of copycat offending

  • John Lee says the government will ‘absolutely not’ issue the request, saying that will encourage others to jump bail
  • The dozen, wanted for protest-related offences in Hong Kong, are detained on mainland after failed escape bid to Taiwan
Shenzhen

Hong Kong’s security chief has rejected fresh appeals urging the government to request the release of 12 fugitives held in mainland China after their failed attempt to flee to Taiwan, saying it would only encourage others to jump bail.

Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu warned of copycat offences as opposition lawmakers in the Legislative Council on Wednesday demanded he seek the return of the group, who were intercepted en route to the self-ruled island and are all wanted in Hong Kong for protest-related offences.

The campaign for their release from mainland detention is attracting international attention, with activists from 30 cities across the world planning events this weekend, including a virtual rally in Hong Kong, to keep the case in the public eye.

Hong Kong activists to hold online rally for 12 Hong Kong fugitives

Lee on Wednesday dismissed a key activist demand that the city government ask mainland authorities to hand the dozen over to face Hong Kong’s justice system.

“The Hong Kong government will absolutely not do this. This will encourage many more to jump bail and abscond,” Lee said at the Legco meeting.

“These 12 people have been wanted by Hong Kong police. They allegedly committed different kinds of serious offences. They should face legal liabilities.”

The fugitives have been held in neighbouring Shenzhen for nearly two months after being intercepted on August 23 by the mainland coastguard while trying to flee via speedboat to Taiwan. They were arrested on suspicion of illegal border crossing or organising such an act.

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Family of 12 detained Hongkongers say government lied about capture

Family of 12 detained Hongkongers say government lied about capture

Referring to reports suggesting city police were tracking the group’s movements prior to their capture, Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu asked the government if they knew about the escape plans in advance.

Lee reiterated that local police had “no role to play” in arrests by the mainland coastguard.

“Some people have been trying to disrupt peace and attack the government … We will not act according to your script,” he said, referring to accusations that the force colluded with their mainland counterparts over the sea capture.

Reports earlier suggested that the Government Flying Service on August 23 had deployed a fixed-wing aircraft under police orders to conduct surveillance above Sai Kung. Police previously said that was the location from which the speedboat carrying the group departed at 7am that day.

John Lee met the press in the government’s headquarters after angry lawmakers surrounded him after the Legco session. Photo: Handout

The minister refused to disclose operational details of the flying service to prevent criminals from “getting hold of information which might facilitate crimes”.

Angry pan-democratic lawmakers, bearing placards and chanting slogans denouncing the security minister, surrounded Lee as he left the chamber.

The obstruction forced him to leave the legislature and instead meet the press in the neighbouring government headquarters.

Democratic Party veteran James To Kun-sun, who has been helping the families of the 12 Hongkongers, blasted Lee for his comments that releasing the detainees would encourage others to skip bail.

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“If those people are under court bail, then the administration or police are under a very heavy obligation and duty to prevent people [who broke the law] from breaking the condition of the bail by escaping from Hong Kong,” he said.

Pointing to reports that police monitored by air rather than intervening, he argued: “Police are breaking the duty of the court.”

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Gary Chan Hak-kan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, urged the judiciary to tighten bail conditions in serious cases related to the anti-government protests and require suspects to wear electronic monitoring devices.

In response, Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said it was judges who made decisions on suspects’ bail conditions, adding that the judiciary denied bail if they believed defendants were likely to abscond.

Assistants to former Hong Kong lawmakers among nine arrested on suspicion of helping fugitives

Mainland judicial authorities on September 30 officially approved the arrests of the 12 Hongkongers, aged 16 to 33, for the alleged border offences.

Among the group is Andy Li, 29, who was arrested under the Beijing-decreed national security law, which took effect on June 30 and criminalises acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with external forces.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers resumed their delaying tactics of quorum calls and maximising speech time during Wednesday’s Legco meeting, forcing proceedings to be adjourned twice.

The meeting was first halted for an hour due to an insufficient quorum during lunch time, and was soon suspended again after Civic Party lawmaker Jeremy Tam Man-ho called for a debate on the Cathay Pacific layoffs announced earlier in the morning.

Tam’s request was rejected by Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, and the meeting resumed with its second reading of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019, which was the first item from last week’s agenda.

Additional reporting by Jeffie Lam and Cheryl Heng

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Minister rejects calls over fugitives
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