SCMP: Mother in plea over [group] member's Beijing arrest

The mother of a Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioner has appealed to the Immigration Department for help after her son's arrest in Beijing. Hong Kong permanent resident Chan Yuk-to, 34, was taken from his flat by public security officers in the city, where he works, at midnight on July 12, his family claims.

The mainland authorities had not told his family or the SAR Government of his arrest, said his mother Lau Yuk-ling, 58, despite a notification system under which the mainland is supposed to inform the SAR if any of its citizens are detained.

"I found it very strange because I suddenly lost contact with my son, until a week later a relative in Beijing called us and said he had been arrested," said Ms Lau, who is also a Falun Gong practitioner.

Chan Chow-tung, Mr Chan's father, flew to Beijing last Saturday to try to find out what had happened. Beijing Public Security officers confirmed they had arrested his son but refused to let the father see him, said Ms Lau. They would not explain why he had been arrested, she said.

"He is a Hong Kong permanent resident and we hope the SAR Government can find out why he has been arrested and, if possible, help rescue him," she said.

Mr Chan, a Beijing-born technician, moved to Hong Kong in 1991. He started to practise Falun Gong two years ago when he moved back to Beijing to work for a foreign company. Ms Lau said her son was not a high-profile member of the spiritual group and had never openly voiced opinions against the mainland Government.

An immigration officer met Ms Lau yesterday and she said he had promised to look into the incident. Human rights activist Ho Hei-wah, director of the Society for Community Organisation, said: "It seems that Beijing is not respecting the notification system at all. It must clarify with the SAR Government why it has not reported the case."

The deputy chairman of the Legislative Council security panel, James To Kun-sun, said: "The Government should find out as soon as possible if Mr Chan has been arrested by the Public Security Bureau and if he is safe."

A spokeswoman for the Security Bureau said: "We haven't heard about the case. We will see how we can help based on his family's request." Director for Immigration Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong said the Government had not had any cases which involved Falun Gong members needing help on the mainland.

Mr Chan is the second Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioner arrested and detained on the mainland. Another SAR permanent resident, Chu O-ming, was arrested in Beijing on September 7 last year after he lodged a lawsuit in the Beijing People's Supreme Court against President Jiang Zemin for cracking down on Falun Gong. He is being held in a jail in Tianjin, east of Beijing.

His family sought help from the SAR Government in December but withdrew the request after alleged pressure from the mainland authorities, said Hong Kong Falun Gong leader Kan Hung-cheung.

http://hongkong.scmp.com/ZZZK6GB5RPC.html