(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Police have no role to play in the case where 12 Hong Kong people were arrested on the Mainland.

Making the remarks ahead of today’s Executive Council meeting, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the 12 people should face the legal consequences of illegally entering another place in Mainland jurisdiction.

“The nature of this case is there are 12 Hong Kong people who are suspected to have committed crimes in Hong Kong and rather serious crimes - possession and making of explosives, arson and attacks on policemen.

“These are very serious crimes. Of course they should stay in Hong Kong and face the legal liabilities in a system which we have judicial independence, but instead they have chosen to flee. In the course of fleeing, they entered another jurisdiction and have committed a crime of illegally entering another place.

“So they have to face the legal consequences in that jurisdiction. It is as simple and as straightforward as that.”

Mrs Lam reiterated that Police have absolutely no role to play in the case, which will proceed in accordance with Mainland laws.

“I believe it’s a tiny fraction of people who have not given up any opportunity to smear the Hong Kong Government, to attack Police, to fabricate this and that, and so on.

“I would not comment on the actual operational details except to reinforce what Police have said, that Police have absolutely no role to play in this particular case, and the detention and the subsequent investigation and perhaps likely, soon will be the prosecution in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China.

“I hope that the people of Hong Kong will be able to see the truth for themselves because that is the only basis for us as a community to move on.”