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'No cases of protracted detention of Hongkongers'
By Eddie Luk (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-11-26 09:57
Cases involving Hong Kong residents detained on the mainland over long
periods have been cleared, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee quoted a senior
prosecutor of the country as saying Thursday.
Speaking to the press after meeting Supreme People's Procuratorate Deputy
Procurator-General Wang Zhenchuan in Beijing Thursdayday, Lee said they had
discussed the existing reciprocal notification mechanism regarding the detention
of Hongkongers on the mainland.
"Over the past year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has done a lot of
work to drastically reduce the number of prosecution cases involving suspects
being detained over an extended period.
"In my understanding, all cases involving Hong Kong residents held by
mainland authorities over a protracted period have been cleared. Even those
cases involving mainlanders in extended detention have been mostly cleared."
Meanwhile, Lee said the SAR Security Bureau will provide assistance to Hong
Kong citizens who are subject to criminal prosecution or detained by the
mainland authorities, though the number of cases involved is small.
Under the notification mechanism launched in January 2001, the authorities on
the mainland and Hong Kong notify each other of criminal prosecution of
residents of the other side. The mechanism does not yet cover civil cases.
Lee, who will meet officials of the Supreme People's Court today, will also
visit Nanning of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to learn about the latest
anti-narcotics measures on the mainland and meet officials of the Guangdong
Public Security Bureau next week.
Meanwhile, Lee's proposal for mainlanders serving prison
time to be repatriated to the mainland to serve the rest of their sentences -
which would reduce crowding in Hong Kong prisons - has been hailed. Lee made the
suggestion when meeting senior officials of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs
Office of the State Council on Wednesday. At present, about 4,000 mainlanders
are serving sentences in the SAR.
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