Families of some of the 12 Hongkongers held in mainland China after being detained at sea have called on the Hong Kong government to share details about their arrests, as well as to ensure that the suspects can be represented by family-appointed lawyers.

The relatives demanded Hong Kong police clearly explain the time, location and circumstances of the arrests. At a meeting on Sunday at police headquarters in Wan Chai, they also sought clarification on whether anyone was hurt in the process.

The 12 Hongkongers were allegedly captured on Aug. 23 in mainland waters after trying to flee to Taiwan via speedboat. They had previously been arrested for protest-related offenses, and are the first group of Hong Kong demonstrators detained by mainland Chinese authorities since the implementation of the city’s national security law on July 1.

Family members also demanded radar records from the Marine Department, as well as the patrol routes and positions of the marine police on the day.

Hong Kong authorities should also ascertain the status of the 12 detainees through direct meetings or phone calls, and to arrange for them to meet with lawyers appointed by their families, instead of those provided by the Chinese state.

Activist Owen Chow accused the Hong Kong government of shifting blame, and failing to protect the rights and interests of the detainees.

One family member said the police dismissed his request for help on Aug. 26, when he reported his son as missing. An officer allegedly showed a phone with WhatsApp messages saying the man’s son had gone fishing, and that it was “normal” for him to be gone for six or seven days.

The incident raised questions about how the police accessed those messages, and whether the Hong Kong police colluded with mainland authorities so that the 12 Hongkongers would fall under mainland jurisdiction, the family member said.

Government representatives have been unhelpful and gave repetitive advice, in addition to failing to provide a channel of communication to the detainees, another family member said.

Hong Kong has round-the-clock radar facilities that monitor the city’s waters, pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu said, urging authorities to take the matter seriously and share the relevant data.

The plight of the 12 detainees has been compared to that of student leaders fleeing China in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In “Operation Yellowbird,” some student leaders were able to escape via Hong Kong with the help of local activists.

Hongkongers nowadays were even more isolated than Chinese democracy activists in 1989, said former Tiananmen student leader Xiang Xiaoji.

“Back in the day, we had support from the British colonial government, the Hong Kong Alliance, and other Hongkongers,” Xiang told Apple Daily. “I was one of the lucky ones, as I received help in Hong Kong and escaped in time.”

The Hong Kong detainees in mainland China may become an issue for the international community to put pressure on China, he added, though he said the communist regime has been taking advantage of the chaotic situation abroad to crack down on Hong Kong.

Fleeing China in 2020 was more difficult than in 1989 because Chinese authorities have stronger intelligence-gathering capabilities, said another former student leader Wang Juntao.

“It’s not a question of law anymore, everything is about politics,” he told Apple Daily. Wang was arrested for his involvement in “Operation Yellowbird,” and was later allowed to go to the United States for medical treatment.

Former student leader Wang Dan urged the family members of detainees to take their case global, as international attention might help protect the detainees from being mistreated.

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