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[My oped in @Independent: No one knows what happened to the 12 Hongkong asylum seekers China detained]
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hong-kong-asylum-seekers-china-syria-spain-home-office-a9705991.html …
Two weeks on with no further updates about their situations, it seems they've been thrown into a black hole of indefinite detention...
1/ As Beijing chips away at the city’s freedoms and our way of life, some Hongkongers choose to risk their lives and flee for asylum by speedboat. Two weeks ago, on 23 August, 12 asylum seekers were captured. They are now being detained in China.
2/ Under the national security law, it could be the first case that HKers will send to China’s court. Under the stricter legislation and criminal laws in China, all detainees may face graver offences. Throughout the criminal justice process, it could be a complete black box.
3/ For a long time, fleeing by sea has been commonly associated with countries grappling with armed conflicts and repression, as with Syria, Libya and Myanmar. It’s tragic that another is set to join them.
4/ What was once a semi-autonomous international financial center has now turned into a tightly controlled region, after Xinjiang. Fleeing has become the only way for the city’s freedom fighters to seek liberation.
5/ As every second passes, the fate of the detained Hongkongers becomes more uncertain. To bring them back safe and free from tortures, we hope the world can keep a close watch on developments and speak up for us when our voices are eventually silenced.
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