Authorities in the UK should “let the public know the truth” behind the death of a British man accused of spying for Hong Kong, the city’s commerce and economic development chief has said after meeting with a British Consulate-General representative.
The UK should handle the high-profile national security case involving three men linked to Hong Kong’s trade office in London “fairly,” Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau said in a statement on Thursday evening.
First official move
The statement came after the minister met with Deputy Consul-General in Hong Kong Sarah Robinson on Thursday regarding the case of Bill Yuen, Peter Wai, and Matthew Trickett. It was the first official move by the Hong Kong government since the trio were charged with violating the UK’s 2023 National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service and engaging in foreign interference on behalf of Hong Kong.
See also: Explainer: Why UK authorities arrested 3 men linked to Hong Kong’s trade office
Yau raised concerns about the case, which marked the first time Hongkongers had been prosecuted under the UK’s new national security legislation. He said the government was particularly concerned about the death of Trickett, whose body was found in a park in Maidenhead on Sunday, after he and the other defendants were granted bail pending the next hearing on Friday.
“[Yau] demanded the UK side to give an open account of the incident as soon as possible to let the public know the truth and prevent unwarranted speculation,” a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, which manages the city’s economic and trade offices abroad, said in a statement.
Security arrangements
The Hong Kong official also called on the UK to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the arrestees and ensure the normal operation of the city’s trade office in London. He said it was the office’s duty to coordinate and arrange duty visits by Hong Kong officials. It would engage security companies in the UK to provide services and make transportation arrangements for the officials, Yau said.
The office would also make appropriate security arrangements to ensure the safety of its staff and premises, he added.
“The UK government is obliged to ensure the normal work and activities of the [office] are free from interruption and conducted in an orderly manner,” the statement read.
Yuen, Wai and Trickett were apprehended in early May on suspicion of attempting to break into the home of a British National (Overseas) passport holder who left Hong Kong last December — an act that was suspected to amount to prohibited conduct under the foreign interference offence.
They also stand accused of taking part in “information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception, that [were] likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service carrying out UK-related activities” between December 20, 2023, and May 2, 2024.
Last week, Chief Executive John Lee dismissed “unwarranted accusations” that the city funded the surveillance of overseas activists wanted by national security police. He added the trade offices were legitimate government bodies promoting the economic and trade interest of Hong Kong in different countries.
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