Chinese authorities have confirmed the criminal detention of 12 Hong Kongers who were allegedly attempting to travel illegally to Taiwan by boat last month, while the foreign ministry in Beijing labeled the group separatists. The 12 people, aged 16 to 33, were under “compulsory criminal detention” in accordance with Chinese law for illegally crossing the border, according to a statement Sunday from the public security bureau in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city. The statement was the first formal announcement from Chinese authorities that the 12 would likely face criminal charges.
