A Hong Kong executive of a publishing company known for producing books critical of the Chinese government has gone missing, according to his wife.
Advertisement
Another source told AFP that Lee, 65, was last seen in Hong Kong on Wednesday at the publisher’s warehouse, which he is in charge of.
But she said the number from which Li was calling her did not belong to him and originated from the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
“From the available information surrounding the disappearance of Mr Lee Bo and his partners earlier, we have strong reason to believe that Mr Lee Bo was probably kidnapped and then smuggled back to the mainland for political investigation”, Ho said.
“If mainland Chinese law enforcement personnel are carrying out duties in Hong Kong, it would be unacceptable because it goes against the Basic Law”, the mini-constitution under which Beijing agreed to uphold the “one country, two systems” principle after taking control of the city from Britain in 1997, Leung said.
“The Hong Kong government and Leung Chun-ying should express to the top level on the mainland Hong Kong people’s concern, instead of awaiting a reply”, said pro-democracy lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan.
Secretary for Security John Lee said the police would be expanding the scope of its investigation into Mr Lee’s disappearance, although it was not possible to give details about every line of inquiry, broadcaster RTHK reported yesterday.
“If the Hong Kong and Chinese police have not arrested these publishers, they should just come out and say so”.
David Bandurski, editor of the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kong, said Mighty Current publishes the “most sensitive facts and speculation about senior leadership”.
Critics in Hong Kong, including politician and former journalist Claudia Mo, said the disappearances were sending a chill through the city’s once-vibrant media scene.
Leung said he and his government were highly concerned about case and would follow up on it comprehensively.
The Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing said it had no information on the case.
Hong Kong opposition lawmakers protested on Sunday outside Beijing’s representative office over Lee’s disappearance.
The five-minute video featuring Chow titled “An Urgent Cry from Hong Kong” was uploaded to her Facebook page on Saturday, it has gained more than 20,000 likes and 10,000 shares in two days.
The fifth, a Swedish national, was reported to have disappeared in Thailand.
He added that the police actively conducted investigations into this missing person report, and they have finished examining CCTV footage around the location where the missing person was last seen.
Beijing has so far made no comment on the disappearances, which many believe are an attempt to silence Gui Minhai’s publishing company, Sage Communications.
Advertisement
“He later called me again and asked me not to make a scene”. And even the central government and the Hong Kong government refused to respond – well, previously – on the whereabouts of these citizens are.
