Right to Freedom of Movement - Activists travel ban on mainland China

The home-return permit, permit to travel to mainland, of Hong Kong citizen Leung Kwok-wah was confiscated on July 18 at a shenzen checkpoint for "conducting anti-government activities".

This is the first time that home-return permit of a member of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China was confiscated with the above reason. The Alliance believes that the Beijing Government has a blacklist of banning those involve in democratic and human rights movements in Hong Kong to enter mainland. Ordinary citizens who have same names as democratic legislators face the ban too.

Leung Kwok-wah became committee member of the Alliance since 1991 and was detained for six hours when he traveled to mainland last April. Immigration officers told him that there were some problems regarding his travel document, but finally he still could cross the border. However, his permit was confiscated this time and was told to go back to Hong Kong immediately.More than ten committee members of the Alliance cannot enter the mainland, either experienced similar treatment as Leung or had their permit renewal applications rejected in the past years. Some pro-democracy legislators including members of the Democratic Party and the Frontier are also unable to enter mainland legally.

The Alliance met Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Michael Suen Ming-yeung on July 28 and requested the SAR Government to strive for their rights of entering mainland. Mr. Suen promised to pass on its complaint to the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

Alliance chairman Szeto Wah said the SAR Government should not just play the role of passing message. Under the system of "one country, two systems", the Government had a duty to protect the rights of Hong Kong citizens to enter China and ask for reasonable explanation for any confiscation. He added that Leung kwok-wah's case may be related to the enactment of domestic law of Basic Law Article 23 regarding the act of subversion, sedition or treason against the Beijing Government. The Alliance may become target of this law.

July 1998