Activists Rally At Flying Service HQ Over Detainees

Pro-democracy activists and family members of the 12 Hongkongers detained in Shenzhen staged a protest outside the Government Flying Service (GFS) headquarters on Lantau on Thursday, demanding the release of information about their arrest by mainland coast guards.

The group, which included activist Joshua Wong and former lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick, said that they had evidence from sources that the GFS sent a fixed-wing aircraft to track the group on August 23, the day they took a speedboat and tried to flee to Taiwan.

The group said they did not believe comments from the authorities that they had no hand in the arrests, and called on the Security Bureau and GFS to address the claims.

The father of Li Tsz-yin, one of the detainees, said he has not heard from his son for more than 40 days, that he was disappointed with the rule of law in Hong Kong. He alleges that the police played a role in his son's arrest.

Li said the families of the 12 were feeling helpless because there wasn't a lot they could do, and said he hopes the Hong Kong government would release any relevant information as soon as possible so that people will eventually know the truth.

Police officers were at the scene of the protest, demanding that the group take away their placards and warning that they could be violating public gathering restrictions.

The protest comes after the service said on Wednesday that it will not be making public any flight data from that day, saying that this is the usual practice for the service.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that the "Hong Kong police had absolutely no role" to play in the mainland's arrest of the 12, and slammed the reports suggesting otherwise as "smearing".