HONG KONG - A Hong Kong judge on Thursday rejected a lawsuit and claims for compensation by the parents of four mainland children, who were among thousands who fell ill two years ago after consuming tainted milk powder.

Hong Kong's Small Claims Tribunal adjudicator Ada Yim ruled that the case should be handled by mainland courts, since the plaintiffs are from the mainland and their children were poisoned there.

The parents had sued the New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra in this special administrative region, hoping the courts here would be more sympathetic to their case.