A former
British consulate employee who was detained in
China last year said he has cut ties with his family and relatives in Hong Kong and the mainland to avoid them being harassed.
Simon Cheng's case triggered a diplomatic row between
London and
Beijing at a time when relations were already strained by the massive pro-democracy
protests that have wracked the former British colony for months.
"I hope they can live in tranquility and peace, without external harassment and threat," Cheng said in a statement posted on his
Facebook page Thursday night.