Subject: Alert From Hong Kong
Information Relay via Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor
TO: Everyone
FROM: Kin-ming Liu
Vice-chairperson
Hong Kong Journalists Association
As Chinese president Jiang Zemin is visiting the United States, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) would like to draw your attention to an unconfirmed report about detainment and arrest of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese journalists in Beijing in September.
According to a report in the November issue of Frontline, a Chinese language China-watching monthly magazine published in Hong Kong, HA Tai-ning, an associate editor at Ming Pao Daily News, a Hong Kong-based Chinese language newspaper, was detained for two days. LEE Bingwah, a deputy bureau chief of the Beijing office of Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong-based pro-Beijing paper, was arrested and is believed still to be under arrest.
According to the report in Frontline, Ming Pao published an insider report on the 15th Party Congress on September 5 which was said to be based on confidential documents. The Chinese government soon detained Mr. Ha who was then reporting in Beijing.
A copy of the political report of the Party Congress was allegedly found in the place Mr. Ha was staying. Two days later, Mr. Ha was released, after allegedly having told the authorities he got the document from Mr. Lee.
Frontline's report claimed that Mr. Lee is still under arrest. Should he be found guilty of leaking state secret, Mr. Lee may be sentenced to jail for five years.
Both Ming Pao and Ta Kung Pao denied this report. CHEUNG Kin-bor, chief editor of Ming Pao, said that Frontline's report was wrong while TSANG Tak-shing, chief editor of Ta Kung Pao, claimed he was not aware of the matter. Mr. Ha also said the report was not the fact.
The HKJA first learned about this story in late September. In an op-ed piece published in The Asian Wall Street Journal on October 1, HKJA chairperson Carol Lai wrote about this allegation. However, it could not be substantiated at that time.
This story is believed to be widely circulated among China desk journalists in Hong Kong. However, none of them would come forward to confirm it.
The HKJA will monitor closely and look into this case.
