Govt Optimistic Hong Kong To Release Two Indonesian Comedians Soon

BEIJING, China, March 7 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is optimistic that Hong Kong authorities will soon release its two nationals over the misuse of visas' charge. "Based on experience, as long as the suspects are cooperative and admit their acts, they would get some light punishments and be released soon," Indonesian General Consular to Hong Kong Tri Tharyat said via phone call to Antara correspondent in Beijing on Tuesday. The two Indonesian comedians, named Deni Afriadi a.k.a Percil and Yudo Prasetyo, will undergo their second trial in Shatin Court, Hong Kong, on Wednesday (March 7). Their first trial was held in the same court on Feb 6. "We keep giving them assistance since the first trial, but we have no information about the materials for tomorrow," Tharyat said. Percil and Yudo arrived in Hong Kong on Feb 2 with tourist visas, but the authority caught them for receiving some payments for their performance at an event held by the Indonesian migrant workers community on Feb 4. The police arrested them on the scene for violating Hong Kong's Immigration Law. The Indonesian General Consulate in Hong Kong had been providing them with legal assistance and trial's materials. According to he consulate, the two comedians inhabit two cells in the Lao Chi Kok Prison, Hong Kong, and are cooperative with the wardens and other law authorities. However, the Hong Kong authorities said they hold some strong evidences that the two comedians were violating the immigration law. They also had questioned some members of the event's committee, but then were released on condition that they must report periodically to the Hong Kong Immigration Office. According to the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, the two comedians had been performing for similar event in Sept 2017. Earlier, Abdul Somad, an internet famous Islamic preacher, had been deported from Hong Kong on Dec 23, 2017, for violating the immigration law after giving a preach in front of the Indonesian migrant workers.