An activist sentenced to 30 months in prison after trying to draw public attention to the plight of children suffering from the effects of contaminated milk powder has refused to meet his lawyers, said a member of his legal team.

Li Fangping, one of the lawyers representing Zhao Lianhai, refused to speculate on why Zhao refused to meet him, but did express some concern.

"It is very unusual. We have never come across this before," Li said.

Li added that Zhao would submit his appeal Monday. Zhao was sentenced by a Beijing court November 10.

Li said the director of the detention center where Zhao is being kept handed him a slip of paper written by Zhao on Tuesday. The paper said, "I don't want to meet anyone. Deal with the issues of appeal for me."

Zhao's other lawyer Peng Jian told the Global Times that Zhao had signed the appeal paper when they last met Friday.

Li told the Global Times that they would submit the paper to the court Monday.

Zhao vowed to go on a hunger strike when the verdict was delivered.

Li said he had asked workers at the detention center if Zhao was indeed on a hunger strike. The worker only told him that "his situation is normal."

The Daxing district People's Court ruled that Zhao was guilty of violating Chapter 293 of the criminal law as he had used social issues to incite social disorder.

The verdict said Zhao organized dozens of people to protest in front of a police station on August 4, 2009 on behalf of a female rape victim. He also organized victims of melamine-tainted milk powder to stage protests, and accepted interviews by both local and foreign media during his campaigns.

Hong Kong journalists who attempted to interview Zhao's wife Thursday were blocked by security guards and representatives of the residential community where Zhao's family live, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. The family later said they would not accept media interviews.

In Hong Kong, 18 lawmakers signed a petition Wednesday in support of Zhao, urging his release from prison.

On Monday, a petition supporting Zhao signed by 27 National People's Congress (NPC) Hong Kong deputies was submitted to the Supreme People's Court, the Standard newspaper reported. However, NPC Hong Kong deputy Wong Man-kong said Zhao's case should be treated in a low-profile fashion.