The Causeway Bay bookstore linked to the missing men. Photo: RTHK
Britain's Guardian newspaper says the UK is looking at whether one of the five missing men linked to a bookstore in Causeway Bay has a UK passport. The paper said the matter could overshadow a visit to Beijing by the UK foreign secretary on Tuesday.
The bookstore, which is popular with mainland tourist, sells material which is critical of the Communist Party. The five men have gone missing over the past few months leading to speculation that mainland security agents may be involved.
Publisher Gui Minhai disappeared on October 17 from his beachfront home in Thailand. On Monday, his daughter, who is studying in the UK, told the Ming Pao newspaper that she had approached British police about another of the missing men, her father's business partner Lee Bo. He disappeared on Wednesday in Chai Wan and is the last of the five to go missing. Gui's daughter said he had once told her he had a British passport.
The British embassy in Beijing said it was urgently investigating with the relevant authorities.
If true, the case could complicate a two-day trip to Beijing by the UK's foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, at a time when the UK has been looking to strengthen relations with China.
On Sunday, Democratic Party legislator Albert Ho said Gui's company had been planning to publish a book about one of President Xi Jinping's former girlfriends. He said this could be the reason why the five men had gone missing.
The other three missing men were last seen in China.
Lee Bo's wife reported him missing to Hong Kong police on Friday. She said she had spoken to him by phone on Wednesday, and a Shenzhen number had appeared on the dial. She said he had told her he was assisting with an investigation and that she should not publicise the matter. She said she went to the police on Friday to show her husband wasn't involved in any wrongdoing.
RTHK sources now say Lee Bo's wife has withdrawn the report. However, the police say they will continue with their enquiries.
The Chief Executive, CY Leung, said on Monday that he and his government are extremely concerned about Lee Bo. He acknowledged that there have been widespread rumours that he had been abducted by mainland security agents.
Leung said there is no indication that was the case and said mainland law enforcers cannot carry out their duties on Hong Kong soil as such acts would violate both the One Country, Two Systems principle and the Basic Law.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1233546-20160104.htm
