A former employee of the British Consulate in Hong Kong has said he was detained and tortured by Chinese secret police. They were trying to extract information about anti-government protests in the territory, he added.
Image: Reuters/Facebook/Free Simon Cheg
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Simon Cheng said in an online statement and media interviews that he was hooded, beaten, deprived of sleep and chained to an X-shaped frame by plainclothes and uniformed Chinese agents as they sought information on activists involved in the months-long protests in Hong Kong and the role they believed the UK played in the demonstrations.
In August, Cheng was detained for more than two weeks while he was on a trip to mainland China. At the time of his detention, Cheng was working for the British Consulate's business development team in Hong Kong. Chinese police said at the time that Cheng had "confessed to his illegal acts," without giving specific details.
In a detailed account published on Facebook, Cheng said he hasn't "fully recovered from the trauma of what happened" to him.
"I speak out now because the case is relevant to the public interest on knowing the flawed judicial process in Mainland China, but I have tried my best to protect personal privacy," he wrote.
He also condemned the "witch hunt made by Chinese Communist Party mouthpieces."
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Cheng said he was questioned repeatedly about the role his interrogators presumed the UK was playing in fomenting the unrest in Hong Kong.
In fear, Cheng said he disclosed the passwords for his phone and social media accounts, named two British consular officials he thought had military and intelligence backgrounds and gave details of some people involved in the protests.
Hong Kong: University campus turns into battleground
Violence in Hong Kong ratcheted up in two days of campus protests that had demonstrators attempting escape through the sewer system. Hong Kong Polytechnic University was turned into a battleground.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Y. Aung Thu
The store room
Protesters stand in a supply room at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the last campus to hold out in a week of violent protests in Hong Kong. As the number of protesters dwindled to around 100 on Tuesday, demonstrators said food and other supplies were running low.
Image: Reuters/A. Abidi
Security forces
A riot police officer fires tear gas at anti-government protesters. In a dramatic moment, officers fired tear gas at protesters as they escaped down a rope descending from a footbridge.
Image: picture-alliance/Kyodo
Protester violence
A protester holds a burning molotov cocktail during protests. Protesters assaulted police trying to enter the campus with the homemade explosives as well as arrows and bricks.
Image: Reuters/A. Perawongmetha
Masked crusader
A demonstrator sports a face-concealing mask. On Monday, the Hong Kong High Court ruled that the mask ban enacted over a month ago was unconstitutional. On Tuesday, a Chinese state media outlet condemned the decision to veto the ban and said that only China has the authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma/I. Abreu
The not-so-great escape
A protester tries to escape through a sewage tunnel. Around a dozen protesters tried to escape the university protests through the sewage system, but we're forced to turn back.
Image: Reuters/A. Abidi
A word from abroad
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was "gravely concerned" about recent developments in Hong Kong. He stressed that the US believes the government in Hong Kong is responsible for restoring peace.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo/A. Harnik
Stranded on campus
Young people go through a security control point set up at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on Tuesday morning. A group of parents and pastors called for police to let the students leave. They claimed that many were peaceful protesters who were stuck in campus for fear of being arrested for rioting.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/N. Guan
Hundreds injured
Emergency service workers remove a man from the campus. More than 200 people have been injured in two days of violent clashes
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab condemned China's treatment of Cheng, which he said "amounts to torture." He has also summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to express the UK government's outrage and demand Beijing investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, anti-government protests in Hong Kong have continued for months and the unrest has been escalating over the past few weeks, with university campuses witnessing fierce clashes between demonstrators and police.
China has repeatedly criticized foreign countries, particularly the United States and the UK, for interfering in Chinese internal affairs through their reactions to the violent clashes taking place in Hong Kong.
