A Uyghur man believed to be missing is "accounted for", rights group Amnesty International said, days after alleging he had disappeared after travelling to Hong Kong.
The group said it spoke with Abuduwaili Abudureheman on Tuesday and was told he "did not travel to Hong Kong, contrary to previous information received".
Amnesty issued a news release Friday saying Abuduwaili had taken a flight to Hong Kong on May 10 and had not been heard from since.
It also said he had sent a text message saying he was "questioned by Chinese police".
The Hong Kong government condemned Amnesty's allegation as "groundless and unfounded" and said it "slandered the human rights situation" in the city.
Amnesty said in a statement on Tuesday: "We are pleased that Abuduwaili Abudureheman is accounted for."
A dean at Seoul's Kookmin University, where Abuduwaili studied, said he was "safe in Korea", according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
AFP has not been able to locate or contact Abuduwaili independently.
Amnesty said it would continue to monitor the human rights situation for Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in China that has been subject to large-scale detention by Beijing.
The SAR government expressed disapproval and outrage that Amnesty International did not apologise for its unfounded, despicable and fallacious remarks which maliciously smeared the government.
“The organisation not only refused to admit its mistakes, but also claimed that it would continue to monitor the human rights situation in Hong Kong and the Mainland,” it added. “(It) attempting to cover up its mistakes and excuse itself for making the fabricated and malicious remarks that slandered Hong Kong and the Mainland.”
The spokesman said the government despises the act and hopes that the organisation can make a sincere apology responsibly.
(Staff reporter and AFP)
