Demonstration in Taipei Sunday in support of Hong Kong democracy activists detained in China
Human rights groups are organizing a demonstration to be held in Taipei City, Sunday, October 25, in support of 12 Hong Kong democracy activists who are being held in China after attempting to flee to Taiwan by sea, August 23.
The Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Association, the Civil Justice Reform Foundation, and other civil rights groups are organizing the Taiwan Supports Hong Kong Parade.
Organizers have called on supporters to gather at 2:00 pm, October 25, at SOGO Square, outside the Taipei Metro’s Zhongxiao Fuxing Station.
Organizers said that the Hong Kong 12 are youths who had participated in protests against the extradition laws promulgated by the Hong Kong government, and the National Security Law imposed by China’s Communist Party government in response to those original protests.
The 12 activists, aged 16 to 33 were put into “compulsory criminal detention” for illegal entry into “mainland China” after they were intercepted in a boat southeast of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong 12 are being held incommunicado and international attention is an important means of protecting the safety of the Hong Kong 12, Taiwan’s protest organizers said on Facebook.
The group is calling for release of the Hong Kong 12, and the cessation of secret detentions. The group is also requesting that lawyers appointed by family members be allowed access to the detainees, and publication of the identities of the lawyers officially appointed by the PRC government.
The @save12hkyouths Facebook group pointed out that is has been two months since the 12 activists were arrested by Chinese authorities, and that they have been held in detention centers in Shenzhen. Nobody has heard from them, and they are suspected to have been deprived of fundamental human rights.
The activist youths have been held in detention and denied contact with their families, or choice of their own legal representatives. The Chinese government has denied lawyers appointed by the detainees’ families access, and has instead appointed its own state-appointed lawyers to represent the detainees.
The Save the 12 Hong Kong Youths group, based on past and present practices of the Chinese Communist Party government, fear that the detainees may be subject to torture, and/or be forced to confess to being guilty of crimes against the state.
The group is calling for the immediate release of the 12, and their return to Hong Kong, as well as respect for the human rights of political prisoners, including the right to choose their own legal representation, receive medical treatment, and the right to communicate with the outside world.
The group also called on governments around the world to recognize the value of human rights and express their concern to the Chinese authorities through official channels.
IG: www.instagram.com/save12hkyouths
Twitter: https://twitter.com/save12hkyouths
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