Fridae

The badly disfigured and charred body of a gay Hong Kong human rights advocate was found in Shenzhen last November by the Chinese police. However, the matter went unreported until his disappearance was picked up by the Hong Kong media two weeks ago.

According to a report by The Data Lounge quoting the Agence France-Presse (AFP), activists all over the region have called for an immediate investigation into the mysterious death of Leung Wah.

Although Leung was the proprietor of a gay bookshop and a prominent figure in Hong Kong's gay community, he was better known as a pro-democracy activist who was the publisher of China Spring, a publication born as the result of the Tiananmen incident in 1989.

His death is said to be politically motivated as it is rumoured that the Chinese government had listed him a spy for Taiwan.

It is also speculated that he was being watched by the Chinese state security agents because of his work with Chinese dissidents.

Frank Lu, director of the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy told AFP that he doesn't "believe the findings by police in Shenzhen, classifying it as a simple homicide case" and that "an immediate enquiry into Leung's death should be launched since there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Leung's disappearance last year."

Hong Kong lawmakers, including Democrats Andrew Cheng and Albert Ho, have asked the police to release details of the investigation and promised to press the Hong Kong police for an explanation of the case.

Ho has also hinted to the South China Morning Post that the 44-year-old may have been tortured. "I started wondering whether someone had sought to cover up key evidence, including possible cruelty towards Mr. Leung in the run-up to his death."