CE clarifies detainees' case

October 27, 2020

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said the Government will be very conscientious and robust in refuting any accusations brought against it concerning the case of the 12 Hong Kong residents detained on the Mainland.

 

Mrs Lam made the statement ahead of today’s Executive Council meeting in response to media queries about the case.

 

She said: “There have been a lot of so-called global campaigns against Hong Kong since June last year. This is not something that will catch us by surprise because, very unfortunately, Hong Kong has been caught in an international, sort of, campaign or tension, particularly vis-à-vis China.”

 

Mrs Lam explained that the 12 Hong Kong people must face the legal consequences of their actions.

 

“As we have said many times in rebutting accusations from overseas politicians, the situation of the 12 fugitives is this one: that they have been suspected of breaching serious crimes in Hong Kong.

 

“Instead of staying behind and accepting legal responsibility by going through the legal system, which is an independent judiciary, they have chosen to flee Hong Kong. And in the course of fleeing Hong Kong, they entered another jurisdiction, and as a result of that they have committed another crime.

 

“So the first thing is, they have to face up to the consequences of that offence in that particular jurisdiction - that is a Mainland jurisdiction - and thereafter, of course, we will have arrangements to bring them back to face their criminal liabilities in Hong Kong.

 

“How overseas campaigners or activists presented the situation, of course, is something we would not like to see,” Mrs Lam added.

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