HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND LOCAL MEDIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003271

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER



E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2031
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PINR PREL HK CH
SUBJECT: HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND LOCAL MEDIA
REPORT THAT CHING CHEONG WILL STAND TRIAL AUGUST 15


CLASSIFIED BY: E/P CHIEF LAURENT CHARBONNET


1. (C) SUMMARY: "STRAITS TIMES" JOURNALIST CHING CHEONG IS
SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN THE BEIJING SECOND INTERMEDIATE
PEOPLE'S COURT ON AUGUST 15 FOR A TWO-DAY HEARING, THE
INDEPENDENT HONG KONG DAILY "MING PAO" REPORTED AUGUST 14.
THE NEWSPAPER SPECULATED THAT THE TRIAL WOULD BE CLOSED TO
THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING CHING'S FAMILY. THE HONG KONG
JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION (HKJA) TOLD POLOFF ON AUGUST 14 THAT
IT HAD CONFIRMED RUMORS OF CHING'S TRIAL WITH MARY LAU,
CHINGS WIFE, AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING A
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR HIM ON AUGUST 15. ONE CONSULATE
CONTACT SPECULATED THAT CHING MIGHT BE SENTENCED TO 4-5
YEARS, BUT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD LEAVE OPEN THE
POSSIBILITY OF EARLY RELEASE THROUGH PAROLE. END SUMMARY.

COURT TO HEAR CHING'S CASE TOMORROW
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2. (SBU) ON AUGUST 14, THE INDEPENDENT HONG KONG DAILY "MING
PAO" REPORTED THAT "STRAITS TIMES" JOURNALIST CHING CHEONG --
WHO GUANGDONG SECURITY AUTHORITIES ARRESTED ON APRIL 22, 2005
AND FORMALLY CHARGED WITH SPYING FOR TAIWAN -- WAS SCHEDULED
TO APPEAR IN THE BEIJING SECOND INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE'S COURT
ON AUGUST 15 FOR A TWO-DAY HEARING. THE NEWSPAPER SPECULATED
THAT THE TRIAL WOULD BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING
CHING'S FAMILY. MAK CHAI-MING, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CHING
CHEONG INCIDENT CONCERN GROUP, TOLD "MING PAO" THAT HE HOPED
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD ASSIST CHING; THE SECURITY
BUREAU RESPONDED BY SAYING IT WOULD CONTINUE TO LIAISE WITH
CHINGS FAMILY AND MAINLAND AUTHORITIES. CABLE TV NEWS
REPORTED AUGUST 14 THAT CHING HAD HIRED TWO LAWYERS FROM
GUANGDONG TO PREPARE FOR HIS TRIAL, BUT THAT EFFORTS BY ITS
REPORTERS TO CONFIRM CHING'S TRIAL DATE HAD BEEN REBUFFED BY
THE BEIJING SECOND INTERMEDIATE PEOPLE'S COURT. ALSO ON
AUGUST 14, MAVERICK LEGISLATOR LEUNG KWOK-HUNG "LONG HAIR"
LED THE APRIL 5TH GROUP TO PROTEST OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT LIAISON OFFICE, DEMANDING CHING'S EARLY RELEASE.


3. (C) KOK KAI FUNG, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE HONG KONG
JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION (HKJA) TOLD POLOFF ON AUGUST 14 THAT
THE HKJA HAD CONFIRMED RUMORS OF CHING'S TRIAL WITH MARY LAU,
CHING'S WIFE. THE HKJA WAS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING A
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR CHING, WHICH IT WOULD HOLD IN CHATER
GARDEN THE EVENING OF AUGUST 15. KOK HAD NO ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE TRIAL OR WHETHER FAMILY
MEMBERS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND.

CONCERN OVER OUTCOME
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4. (C) JOSEPH CHENG, CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG PROFESSOR
AND CIVIC PARTY SECRETARY-GENERAL, TOLD US HE HAD HEARD
RUMORS THREE MONTHS AGO THAT PRO-BEIJING FRIENDS OF CHING HAD
MOBILIZED SUPPORTERS TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE BEIJING
LEADERSHIP ASKING FOR LENIENT TREATMENT; THEIR IMPACT
REMAINED UNCLEAR. MORE RECENTLY, CHENG'S SOURCES SPECULATED
THAT THE "STRAITS TIMES" JOURNALIST MIGHT RECEIVE A HEAVY
PENALTY OF 4-5 YEARS IMPRISONMENT, BUT THAT THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT WOULD LEAVE OPEN THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE OR
EARLY RELEASE BASED ON MEDICAL REASONS. ANY EARLY RELEASE,
HOWEVER, WOULD DEPEND ON CHING'S ATTITUDE DURING HIS COURT
APPEARANCE, OPINED CHENG. A GUILTY PLEA AND REMORSE WOULD
BRING LENIENT TREATMENT; A STRENUOUS DEFENSE COULD LEAD
AUTHORITIES TO IMPOSE A HARSHER PENALTY AND BE EVEN LESS
INCLINED TO PAROLE HIM. LIKE MANY OF OUR CONTACTS, CHENG
SAID CHING'S CASE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR BEIJING TO
RESOLVE BECAUSE CHING WAS CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF THE
PATRIOTIC COMMUNITY. SEPARATELY, CHENG SAID THAT THE PRO-PRC
COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG HAD ACCUSED MARY LAU OF HARMING HER
HUSBAND'S CASE BY "GOING PUBLIC."

INCREASED SPECULATION ON CHING'S CASE
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5. (SBU) SPECULATION OVER CHING'S CASE HAS INCREASED IN
RECENT WEEKS. LAST MONTH, MARY LAU MADE A VIDEO APPEAL TO
MAINLAND AUTHORITIES URGING THEM TO RELEASE HER HUSBAND, WHO
THEY HAVE DETAINED FOR MORE THAN 15 MONTHS WITHOUT TRIAL. ON
JULY 20, THE HKJA, THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB AND 20
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZED PRESS CONFERENCES AND
JOINTLY CALLED FOR CHING'S RELEASE.
CUNNINGHAM