'Cops Acting As Mouthpiece Of Mainland Authorities'

Lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick has accused the police of acting as mouthpiece for the mainland authorities and failing to protect the rights of 12 Hongkongers who are now detained in Shenzhen.

The lawmaker was helping the families of the detainees who were arrested by the mainland coastguard on the high seas on suspicion of entering the mainland waters illegally.

In a message posted on social media soon after police released a statement on details of the arrest that mainland authorities released publicly for the first time, Chu said the attitude of authorities here are encouraging the Shenzhen authorities to continue their "secret detention".

He said the families of the detainees have repeatedly asked the Marine Department to provide radar records, and exact location of where the group were arrested. But the polive have refused to release that information.

In the police statement, it was said the mainland authorities would get approval of the arrests from Yantian court, according to the mainland laws.

But Chu said according to mainland's criminal law, law enforcement must apply for court permission within 30 days of detention, and it is well beyond that as they were arrested on August 23.

This is “flagrant violation of criminal procedure law”, he said.