Foreign Ministry: HK's cancelation of 6 fugitives' passports 'reasonable and lawful'

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security today exercised the powers conferred by the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance to specify six individuals who have absconded to the UK and are subject to warrants of arrest on suspicion of having committed offenses endangering national security, and describe the measures to be applied against such absconders by notices published in the Government Gazette.

The specified absconders include six men, namely Law Kwun-chung, Mung Siu-tat, Lau Cho-dik, Cheng Man-kit, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da. 

The following four measures, "prohibition against making available funds etc or dealing with funds etc", "prohibition against certain activities in connection with immovable property", "prohibition in connection with joint ventures or partnerships with relevant absconders" and "cancellation of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports etc", are applicable to all six absconders.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference today that the fugitives have been engaged in anti-China and stirring up trouble in the Hong Kong SAR for a long time, and that their malicious acts have seriously jeopardized national security, seriously undermined HK's fundamental interests, and seriously challenged the bottom line of "one country, two systems."

The measures taken by the Hong Kong Police Force against them are just and necessary to uphold the rule of law in HK and safeguard national security, and are reasonable and lawful, the spokesperson added.

Lin stressed that HK's affairs are purely China's internal affairs and cannot be interfered with by any external forces.