Ten young Hong Kong people accused of illegally entering mainland waters during an apparent bid to flee the city for Taiwan will plead guilty at their trial on Monday afternoon, according to former lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick. “My earlier understanding was that there should be no one denying their charges,” said former lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick, who has been helping the detainees’ families. Tang told Commercial Radio that the lawyer appointed for his brother by the mainland authorities only informed them of the date and location of the court hearing, without answering their questions about the likely sentences. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee member praised the mainland authorities for improving transparency by introducing live broadcasts for some court proceedings. No live broadcast was expected for the Hongkongers' trial, however, with Tam saying the case has “special circumstances”, without elaborating.

Source: The Standard December 28, 2020 04:07 UTC