Mainland Journalist Detained After Reports On HK

A Chinese journalist who covered the democracy protests in Hong Kong has been detained after returning to the mainland, sources with direct knowledge of the situation said on Thursday.

Huang Xueqin, who became known for her support of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment in China last year, had travelled to Hong Kong this summer.

She had written at least two reports about the protests that have plunged the city into crisis for nearly five months.

When Huang returned to the mainland, authorities in Guangzhou summoned her to a meeting and confiscated her travel documents, the sources told the AFP news agency.

Then, Huang was told she could go and collect her documents on October 17.

Instead, the sources said she was arrested under the charge of "making trouble and picking quarrels" – a vague accusation often levelled against critics of the mainland government.

The detention centre in Guangzhou referred questions to city police, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Huang's lawyer and friend, Wan Miaoyan, declined to comment on the case.

Huang had intended to start a law graduate programme at Hong Kong University in September, but was unable to do so without her documents, according to the sources.

In one of the essays by Huang about the protests, she wrote about "resisting tyranny" and said "tyranny may win power over the population, but cannot win power over human hearts". (AFP)