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WORLD NEWSWednesday 2 March 2016

Missing Hong Kong bookseller reappears in TV interview North Korea slams
UN rights body for
Protesters try to stick photos of missing booksellers, one of which shows Gui Minhai at left, during cause of suspicions he was criticism of record
a protest outside the Liaison of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong. The Communist snatched by mainland Chi-
Party newspaper Global Times said Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, that Gui had admitted to selling more nese security agents who GENEVA (AP) — North Ko-
than 4,000 books by mail despite knowing they had not been approved by China’s publications crossed into Hong Kong. rea will “never, ever be
authority. Britain’s Foreign Office said bound” by international
in a report in February that resolutions that criticize its
(AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Lee, a British citizen, was human rights record, its
“involuntarily removed” to foreign minister declared
HONG KONG (AP) — A mail to mainland Chinese worked for Mighty Current the mainland. However, Tuesday, ripping into dead-
Hong Kong bookseller miss- buyers. Media or its Causeway Bay Lee said the claims were ly gun violence in the Unit-
ing for two months has re- The 16-minute interview Bookstore, whose books false and were being used ed States and highlighting
appeared in an interview shown on Hong Kong- were popular with main- by unnamed groups to alleged rights violations
with Chinese media, insist- based pro-Beijing Phoenix land Chinese visitors to hype up his case. against refugees who are
ing he wasn’t abducted TV appears to be an at- Hong Kong. “After the Mighty Current pouring into Europe to flee
and instead crossed illegal- tempt to quell growing con- The case drew interna- affair emerged, I wanted violence at home.
ly into mainland China to cern over the fates of Lee, tional concern over fears to secretly go back to the Ri Su Yong took a strong
help authorities with an in- Gui and three other missing Beijing was eroding the mainland as soon as pos- message from a country
vestigation. men linked to a publishing “one country, two systems” sible to resolve the com- known for powerful state
The interview with Lee Bo, company that specialized principle that allows Hong pany’s affairs, then secretly propaganda to the U.N.-
broadcast late Monday, in books on sensitive politi- Kong to maintain civil liber- return to Hong Kong,” Lee sponsored Human Rights
came a day after another cal topics banned in main- ties such as freedom of the said. He added that be- Council on Tuesday, saying
man that he worked with, land China. press and a high degree of cause he was going to that any resolutions against
Gui Minhai, purportedly Lee went missing Dec. 30 control over its own affairs. “give evidence” against North Korea will only be
confessed to illegally sell- and the four others disap- Lee’s case in particu- some people whom he “proof of partiality and
ing thousands of books by peared in October. The five lar rang alarm bells be- didn’t name, he didn’t double standards.”
want anyone to know and Ri’s sharp comments came
didn’t want to leave any before the 47-member
record of his journey at im- body in Geneva was set
migration checkpoints so to discuss North Korea’s re-
he chose to use “illegal im- cord on March 14 as part
migration,” but did not give of a regular review. That re-
further details. view will consider a sharply
Lee also said he planned to critical report from the U.N.
renounce his British right of human rights office’s rap-
abode, or residency rights, porteur on North Korea is-
though it’s not clear why he sued last month.
used that term rather than “We shall no longer par-
citizenship. ticipate in international
Lee made similar com- sessions singling out the
ments to Hong Kong police human rights situation of
and immigration officials, the DPRK for mere political
the government said Mon- attack,” the minister said,
day, suggesting he is stick- using an abbreviation for
ing closely to a script aimed the country’s formal name.
at deflecting scrutiny of the His comment appeared
case. to raise the prospect that
North Korea would not ex-
Thousands attend funeral of Pakistani who killed governor ercise its right to respond.
Japan and the European
ZARAR KHAN governor in 2011 over ac- matic compounds were on local media covering Union are expected to
ASIF SHAHZAD cusations of blasphemy. also closed off, said police the funeral, warning outlets present a resolution during
Associated Press As a precaution against official Ashfaq Tarar. in a letter that they would the session that condemns
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) violence, authorities closed Qadri’s supporters threw face closure if their report- human rights violations in
— Tens of thousands of all schools and stepped up rose petals at the ambu- ing “glorifies extremism.” North Korea and would
Pakistanis chanting anti- security in Islamabad and lance carrying his coffin In response to the gag or- extend by another year
government slogans on the adjacent city of Rawal- through Rawalpindi and der, some stick-wielding an investigative mission
Tuesday attended the fu- pindi, where the funeral of he was given a martyr’s supporters beat up a local into its rights record. Over
neral of a police officer Mumtaz Qadri was held. funeral before being bur- media crew in Rawalpindi, the years, North Korea has
executed the day before Roads around key govern- ied in Islamabad. Earlier, breaking at least one video blown hot and cold with
for assassinating a secular ment buildings and diplo- authorities put a gag order camera. the HRC.