19 January 2006 Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group’s full page advertisement
letter to the Chinese National Leaders :

Honorable National Leaders:

Please Set Ching Cheong Free

Over half of the HKSAR Legislative Councillors, including senior members of the three major political parties, had recently written to you, our national leaders, to appeal to you to handle Ching Cheong’s case in a fair, just and open manner; they reiterated that if there had not been any actual damage to national security, Ching Cheong should be set free as soon as possible. We believe that this appeal by the Councillors represented the wishes of the majority of the Hong Kong people.

Ching Cheong was detained by the authorities on 22 April 2005. At the end of May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Ching Cheong was involved in spying for foreign intelligence agencies. This was shocking news for the Hong Kong society. It was only until early June that the National Security Bureau formally notified Ching’s family that Ching was put in custody under residence surveillance in Beijing. Immediately hundreds of Ching’s friends and celebrities co-signed and published an open statement in local newspapers testifying to Ching’s impeccable character and integrity as well as his well-known longstanding patriotic position. They appealed to the national leaders to take a broad view of the case and handle it fairly.

In Ching’s 9-month detention, he stayed very much in the news and hearts of the local and international communities. Over 50,000 citizens’ signatures had been collected by such organizations as the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association and the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor. International organizations representing worldwide media practitioners, notably the International Federation of Journalists, the Committee for Protection of Journalists had repeatedly issued public statements calling for the release of Ching Cheong and the protection of press freedom.

The Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group had sent a request for a meeting with Vice-President Zeng Qinghong during his visit to Hong Kong. Other local groups, such as the Frontier and the April 5 Action Group, had organized a number of rallies, all with the common purpose of securing Ching’s early release.

In early December last year, the Hong Kong Journalists’ Association, the Hong Kong University Student Union, the Hong Kong University Graduates Association and the Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group jointly issued a 3-part appeal for Ching Cheong, namely, allow regular visits by family and HKSAR officials, allow legal access, and if he was not found to have done any actual damage to national security, he should be released as soon as possible. Within half a day of the release of the appeal, over 10,000 citizens signed up to demonstrate support.

The fact that Legislative Councillors as well as a National People’s Congress HK deputy had recently voiced their concern indicated that Ching Cheong has been enjoying very broad support in the community. This support has not been confined among Ching’s friends and fellow journalists, but has come from a wide spectrum of the community and political affiliations. The fact that Ching Cheong, an ordinary public intellectual with hardly any power or influence, can have captured the hearts and concern of tens of thousands of people is good testimony of his longstanding hard work and the strong moral power of his writings.

Ching Cheong has long shown a passionate love for his Motherland and Hong Kong, and had worked to promote communication across the Strait in an effort to contribute towards the country’s peaceful unification. His unequivocal position is well known in Hong Kong, Singapore, and on both sides of the Strait and has won him great friendship. According to the ‘revealed’ details of the case, the alleged ‘illegal’ activities involved interactive communication across the Strait. Such activities have in fact been taking place almost on a daily basis and among a good many people. The nature of the materials involved might well be open to different interpretations under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.

We have been appealing to the relevant government departments in charge of the case to fully recognize Ching Cheong’s contribution to the country and to consider the use of different yardsticks under “One Country, Two Systems” so as to arrive at a more accommodating assessment of the case. This would minimize the chances of letting one unjust prosecution hurt the faith of many, and would greatly contribute to the building of a harmonious society in Hong Kong and sustaining the positive interaction across the Strait.

Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group
19 January 2006

Chronology of the Ching Cheong Incident

2005
22 April	Ching Cheong was put detained under residence surveillance by National Security Bureau
31 May	Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Ching Cheong was involved in spying activities for foreign intelligence agencies
2 June	Ching’s wife Lau Man-yee published an open letter to President Hu Jintao
14 June	Hundreds of Hong Kong University alumni and celebrities issued an open letter to President Hu Jintao. Hong Kong Journalists’ Association published a joint statement signed by several hundred journalists
5 August	A Xinhua News Agency reporter, having “‘consolidated information from various government departments’ sources”, reported that Ching Cheong was formally arrested
Early August	A number of local publications published unverified reports undermining Ching’s character and integrity
10 August	Ching Cheong’s 150 friends issued a joint statement counteracting the ‘blackmouthing’ activities on Ching
11 August	The lady implicated to be Ching’s mistress came to Hong Kong to openly refute the rumours
16 August	The magazine which carried the initial unverified reports publicly apologized for wrongful reporting
9 September	Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group wrote to Vice-President Zeng Qinghong requesting a meeting during his HK visit to hear them on the case
4 December	Over 10,000 citizens signed petitions for Ching’s release
12 December	National People’s Congress HKSAR Deputy Allen Lee Peng-fei wrote to the NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo asking him to look into the matter
30 December	Ching’s case transferred to the People’s Procuratorate to decide whether or not to prosecute.