A British businessman and a Hong Kong housewife – said to be followers of the outlawed Falun Gong meditation group – have been detained in mainland China, the group said in Hong Kong.
Relatives of the two wept at a demonstration, claiming officials at Hong Kong’s Immigration Department had refused to help them.
Beijing outlawed Falun Gong in 1999 as an “evil cult,” and has detained thousands of its mainland members.
Falun Gong identified the Briton as Ray Tang, aged 51. They said he and three employees from a company his relatives run in the mainland city of Shenzhen, on the Hong Kong border, were arrested on November 13.
Falun Gong activists say hundreds of their members have died in custody from beatings or mistreatment. China has denied mistreating the detained followers.
The group is legal in Hong Kong.
“We’re urging the Hong Kong government to take up a more active role” in the case, said Falun Gong spokesman Kan Hung-cheung.
Mainland police are reported to have told Tang’s family that Tang was suspected of organising Falun Gong activities, the group said.
British Consulate-General spokeswoman Vanessa Gould said she had no immediate comment.
Falun Gong said the other follower, 28-year-old housewife Fu Xue-ying, has been detained by police in Shenzhen since October 30, when she was found distributing Falun Gong video discs.