As the United States expressed concern over the plight of the 16-year-old son of two detained Chinese rights lawyers, the country's state media said that members of a banned opposition party in exile 'conspired' to smuggle the boy illegally into Myanmar, where he was detained earlier this month RFA reported on 15 October.
The Global Times newspaper said Bao Zhuoxuan was taken illegally across the border to northern Myanmar in an operation organized by the banned opposition China Democracy Party (CDP) based in the U.S.
Bao Zhuoxuan, the son of detained rights lawyers Wang Yu and Bao Longjun, had crossed the border from the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan into northern Myanmar as a tourist in early October.
Bao, who is also known by his nickname Bao Mengmeng, was taken away from the Huadu Guesthouse in the border town of Mongla by local police on Oct. 6.
The current Myanmar government has never been in full administrative control of Mongla, local residents told RFA, adding that Chinese police have working agreements in place with many of the ethnic rebel forces along the mountainous border with Yunnan province.
Mongla police destroyed case files and surveillance footage showing Bao after handing him over to Inner Mongolian and Xishuang banna police at the border, according to the report.