Liaison Office Slams Calls For October 1 Protests

Beijing's liaison office has hit out at those calling for the release of 12 Hong Kong activists detained on the mainland, and sounded a warning to those planning to organise protests on National Day.

In a statement published on their website on Tuesday, a spokesperson said it was an "absurd demand" asking for the release of the detainees when they're accused of crossing the border illegally and when mainland authorities have investigated the matter and arrested them.

"Those who violate the law must be punished by the law, which is common knowledge," the spokesperson said.

The statement goes on to allege that there are some in Hong Kong with "ulterior motives" who are using the arrests to spread rumours and online call for "illegal demonstrations" ahead of National Day and mid-autumn festival, and who have ignored police objections to plans for a rally.

The spokesperson went on to say some radicals had called for attacks on police stations, or even inciting people to buy weapons, and that these actions are blatantly challenging the national security law in the SAR.

The spokesperson goes on to emphasise that since the promulgation of the national security law in Hong Kong, the city has begun "a new stage of transition from chaos to governance", and it is hoped that the public can see through the "sinister intentions" of a small group of people to destabilise the city.

The news comes after an appeal board upheld a police decision to ban a proposed rally by the Civil Human Rights Front on National Day.

The front had planned to use the march on Thursday to demand the return of 12 detainees, but the appeal board agreed that allowing a march on National Day would have put public health at risk.

The 12 were arrested on the high seas by the mainland coastguard on August 23 over suspected illegal entry and detained in Shenzhen after that.