London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Hong Kong legislators protest against China’s arrest of activists

Hong Kong legislators protest against China’s arrest of activists

Pro-democracy politicians call for the release of 12 Hong Kong activists arrested at sea by Chinese authorities.

Opposition politicians in Hong Kong have staged a protest in the city’s legislature, calling for the release of 12 activists arrested at sea by China as international concern grows over the status of the detainees.

About a dozen members of Hong Kong’s legislature surrounded Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung on Friday, demanding he meet the detainees’ families and try to bring them home.

“Release the 12 Hong Kongers immediately,” the politicians shouted, holding up placards with the same message and delaying the start of Friday’s session.

The 12, who include a 16-year-old, were arrested on August 23 shortly after they set off from Hong Kong in a boat bound for self-ruled Taiwan.

Chinese police have said the detainees, who are being held in the southern city of Shenzhen, were suspected of illegal border crossing and they have been labelled “separatists” by China’s foreign ministry. Hong Kong authorities say they are all suspected of crimes in the territory related to the anti-government protests that erupted last year.

The families of some of the 12 held a news conference on September 12, masked and hooded to avoid identification, and made a plea to Chinese authorities to allow the detainees to contact family members and be represented by independent lawyers.


Relatives of 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea by Chinese authorities attend a press conference in Hong Kong on Saturday, September 12, 2020


China’s legal system is controlled by and loyal to the ruling Communist Party, meaning courts do not usually challenge party or government accusations.

Mainland authorities have said the legitimate rights of the 12 were being protected according to the law. Hong Kong’s government has said it cannot interfere on their behalf and they must face legal proceedings in China before they can come home, although it has said it is willing to provide “feasible” assistance to their families.

Responding to the legislators’ protest on Friday, Cheung said the detainees “were fugitives who committed serious crimes, skipped bail, violated laws in mainland waters”.

He added: “The immigration department and security bureau are the professional department to handle the matters. Senior management will continue to pay attention to the incident.”

Legal rights


The detainees include Wong Wai-yin, a 29-year-old unemployed mechanic who is facing criminal charges of manufacturing explosives. His wife told Reuters News Agency that Wong wrote a farewell note before his departure, saying: “I am sorry and thanks for accompanying me throughout the years.”

Wong’s wife, who feared the worst after reading the hand-written note, said her “heart lit up” when she heard that he was still alive. “But soon I became very nervous,” she said, fearing her husband would not receive fair treatment in mainland China.

She hired a lawyer on the mainland to represent Wong, but told Reuters her husband has not been allowed to meet him.

The incident has become another flashpoint in US-China relations, and added to tension between Beijing and Taiwan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier this month that the United States was deeply concerned about the case, noting the detainees had been denied access to lawyers of their choice.


In Geneva on Wednesday, Western diplomats and academics urged China to clarify the status of the 12 detainees.

“Twelve Hong Kong democracy activists arrested in August off the coast have been denied access to lawyers of their choice. Local authorities have yet to provide information about their welfare or the charges against them,” said Mark Cassayre, deputy US ambassador.

Steve Tsang, an expert in Hong Kong and Chinese politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London said “none of them have been accorded the normal legal rights that they would expect to enjoy as Hong Kong citizens”.

A senior Chinese official, speaking at the event, said the 12 were entitled to access to lawyers and the presumption of innocence, but did not say whether they had seen lawyers of their choice.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×