The Chinese-controlled Hong Kong administration today rejected a US request for the arrest of American whistleblower Edward Snowden, after which the ex-CIA operative left the former British colony to seek asylum in Cuba or Venezuela.
"Snowden has left Hong Kong through legal and normal means for a third country," the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said in a statement.
"The HKSAR government has informed the US government of Snowden's departure from Hong Kong," Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.
The US government's request for the Hong Kong government to issue a provisional arrest warrant for Snowden did not fully comply with the city's legal requirements, the statement said.
The Hong Kong government could not keep Snowden from leaving before getting "adequate information" to handle the provisional arrest warrant which it had asked the US side to offer, it said.
Significantly the Hong Kong government has also asked the US to explain the reported hacking of some computer systems in Hong Kong by the US National Security Agency for whom Snowden worked.
The government institutions will follow up related developments to safeguard the legitimate rights of Hong Kong residents, it said hinting that it would investigate his allegation of US cyber attacks on Hong Kong entities.
The statement came after 30-year-old Snowden left by an Aeroflot flight to Moscow on his way to Cuba or Venezuela today.
Observers say that though there was no mention of Chinese government, the foreign affairs of the Hong Kong government is controlled by Beijing and the administration's decision was taken with the consent of China.
Snowden, who stayed in the former British colony for 34 days revealed some of the most damaging details about US cyber espionage including snooping on US and as well as people all around the world besides carrying cyber attacks on China.
His arrest and subsequent extradition was rejected by Hong Kong despite an extradition treaty with US.
