'No cases of protracted detention of Hongkongers'
By Eddie Luk (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-11-26 09:57

Cases involving Hong Kong residents detained on the mainland over long periods have been cleared, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee quoted a senior prosecutor of the country as saying Thursday.

Speaking to the press after meeting Supreme People's Procuratorate Deputy Procurator-General Wang Zhenchuan in Beijing Thursdayday, Lee said they had discussed the existing reciprocal notification mechanism regarding the detention of Hongkongers on the mainland.

"Over the past year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has done a lot of work to drastically reduce the number of prosecution cases involving suspects being detained over an extended period.

"In my understanding, all cases involving Hong Kong residents held by mainland authorities over a protracted period have been cleared. Even those cases involving mainlanders in extended detention have been mostly cleared."

Meanwhile, Lee said the SAR Security Bureau will provide assistance to Hong Kong citizens who are subject to criminal prosecution or detained by the mainland authorities, though the number of cases involved is small.

Under the notification mechanism launched in January 2001, the authorities on the mainland and Hong Kong notify each other of criminal prosecution of residents of the other side. The mechanism does not yet cover civil cases.

Lee, who will meet officials of the Supreme People's Court today, will also visit Nanning of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to learn about the latest anti-narcotics measures on the mainland and meet officials of the Guangdong Public Security Bureau next week.

Meanwhile, Lee's proposal for mainlanders serving prison time to be repatriated to the mainland to serve the rest of their sentences - which would reduce crowding in Hong Kong prisons - has been hailed. Lee made the suggestion when meeting senior officials of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday. At present, about 4,000 mainlanders are serving sentences in the SAR.

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