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 The disappearances have stoked fears of mainland Chinese
authorities using shadowy tactics that erode the "one country, two
systems" formula under which the former British colony has been
governed since its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Lee Bo, 65, a shareholder of Causeway Bay Books, "vanished" last
week, according to a missing person report filed by Lee's wife on
Thursday. Four associates involved in publishing or selling
literature critical of Beijing have also gone missing in mysterious
circumstances over the past few months.
Hong Kong opposition lawmakers protested on Sunday outside Beijing's
representative office over Lee's disappearance.
 "We are highly concerned with this case," said Beijing-backed Hong
Kong leader Leung. He added there was "no indication" so far that
Lee may have been kidnapped by Chinese State Security agents in the
financial hub and whisked across the border to China, though
investigations were ongoing.
"If mainland (Chinese) law enforcement personnel enforce the law in
Hong Kong, this is unacceptable because it breaches the Basic Law,"
Leung said, referring to the city's mini-constitution, in rare
comments defending Hong Kong's autonomy.
The Basic Law guarantees wide-ranging personal freedoms, including
freedom of speech, and independent law enforcement overseen by an
independent judiciary.
When asked about the disappearance of Lee, Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing that she had
no information to offer.
Lee's wife told media that her husband had phoned her on what
appeared to be a Chinese phone number to say he was "assisting" in
an investigation, despite having left his travel document at home.
Three of the missing men were last seen late last year in the
southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
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Another man, Gui Minhai, the author of tabloid-style exposes on
Chinese leaders and the owner of Mighty Current, the publishing
house that owns the Causeway Bay bookstore, was last seen publicly
in the Thai seaside town of Pattaya.
Beijing's Liaison Office and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office,
a branch of China's highest administrative authority, the State
Council, did not respond to requests for comment.
Lee Cheuk-yan, a pro-democracy lawmaker, said that while Hong Kong
officials had sought information from Chinese law enforcement
agencies over the case, they had yet to respond, showing a clear
"failing" in the reporting and communication mechanism between both
sides.
Senior Hong Kong officials appealed for more information from the
public and said Hong Kong police had been deepening their probe,
including reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing more people.
"We should give time to the police to conduct their investigation,"
said acting security secretary John Lee.
(Reporting by James Pomfret and Teenie Ho in HONG KONG, Additional
reporting by Sui-Lee Wee in BEIJING; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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