Four Hong Kong
booksellers known for titles critical of Beijing, who have been detained
in China in a case that shocked their home city, have confessed on
television to smuggling books into the mainland, reports AFP.
In individual interviews broadcast on Hong Kong-based Phoenix
TV channel late Sunday, the sombre foursome -- who are under criminal
investigation in China -- admitted to participating what they said was a
banned trade.
Their case has heightened fears of increasing mainland
Chinese interference in semi-autonomous Hong Kong and sparked
international protests.
"This way (of publishing) is not permitted by relevant
Chinese authorities," said bookseller Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, who
failed to return to Hong Kong from a holiday in Thailand in October.
He said the booksellers had "explored ways to circumvent
official inspections in China", including changing the books' covers or
concealing them in bags.
The men all worked for the Mighty Current publishing house in
Hong Kong, which produced salacious titles about political intrigue and
love affairs at the highest levels of Chinese politics.
Gui had already appeared on television in China in January confessing involvement in a fatal driving accident years ago.
In their first appearance since they were detained, fellow
booksellers Cheung Chi-ping, Lui Por and Lam Wing-kee blamed the
company's illegal book trade on Gui.
A tearful Cheung added that he was "willing to face punishment in accordance with the law".
Cheung, Lui and Lam were last seen in southern mainland cities before disappearing in October.
Chinese authorities confirmed earlier this month they were under investigation.
Mainland Chinese news outlet Paper.cn said Cheung, Lui and
Lam may "return to Hong Kong in the near future" on bail pending trial
because they "confessed with good attitudes", citing information from
law enforcers.
The report added that since October 2014, 4,000 illegal books had been mailed to 380 mainland buyers by the company.
- 'Serious breach' -
A fifth bookseller from the company who also disappeared,
Lee Bo, met Hong Kong police and immigration officials at a guesthouse
on the mainland Monday, according to a Hong Kong police statement.
Lee's case sparked the biggest backlash as he disappeared in
December in Hong Kong itself, where mainland law enforcers are banned
from operating. There was no immigration record of his departure from
Hong Kong.
Hong Kong police have long been seeking access to check
claims in letters he purportedly wrote, that he was on the mainland
voluntarily "assisting" with investigations.
Britain said in February it believed Lee, a British
passport-holder, had been "involuntarily removed to the mainland" in
what it called a "serious breach" of an agreement with Beijing before
the city was handed back to China in 1997.
That agreement safeguards free speech and other freedoms in
the city for 50 years but there are fears they are under threat as China
seeks to stamp its authority on the territory.
The European Parliament has called for all five to be immediately released.
Police said Lee told them he returned to the mainland "by his
own means voluntarily" and was not abducted, but he refused to disclose
details.
He told police he was "free and safe" and assisting an
investigation "into a case relating to a person surnamed Gui" and would
return to Hong Kong when the matter was resolved.
Lee said he did not need help from the Hong Kong government but asked police not to disclose where he was staying.
Police in their statement said they would continue to follow
up on the case and were seeking more information from mainland police
about Gui and the three others.
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