HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH CHING CHEONG VERDICT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HONG KONG 003559

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM
NSC FOR WILDER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL HK CH
SUBJECT: HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS PUBLISH CHING CHEONG VERDICT

CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL OFFICER LAURENT CHARBONNET. REA
SONS: 1.4 (B,D)


1. (SBU) SEVERAL HONG KONG NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED "STRAITS
TIMES" JOURNALIST CHING CHEONG'S ALLEGED COURT JUDGMENT ON
SEPTEMBER 5. ACCORDING TO THE PRESS, THE PRO-BEIJING SING
TAO NEWS CORPORATION WAS THE FIRST MEDIA ORGANIZATION TO
DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE LEAKED VERDICT TO ITS WEBSITE ON
SEPTEMBER 3. SING TAO IS OWNED BY CHARLES HO, A LOCAL
PUBLISHER CLOSE TO BEIJING. (NOTE: THE CHINESE LANGUAGE
VERDICT CAN BE FOUND AT
"WWW.SINGTAONET.COM/CHINA/T20060902 317953.HTML" END NOTE.)


2. (SBU) ACCORDING TO THE VERDICT, CHING PASSED NINE SEPARATE
PIECES OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, INCLUDING FOUR TOP SECRET
ITEMS AND TWO PIECES OF INTELLIGENCE, TO A TAIWANESE THINK
TANK WHICH HE KNEW TO BE INVOLVED IN ESPIONAGE AGAINST THE
PRC. THE COURT CONCLUDED THAT THE JOURNALIST MUST HAVE BEEN
AWARE THAT THE FOUNDATION ON INTERNATIONAL AND CROSS-STRAIT
STUDIES IN TAIWAN WAS A COVER ORGANIZATION FOR ESPIONAGE
ACTIVITIES AS EARLY AS APRIL 2004, AFTER FOUNDATION CONTACTS
ASKED HIM TO TAKE PICTURES OF CHINESE WARSHIPS IN HONG KONG.
DESPITE THIS KNOWLEDGE, CHING ALLEGEDLY CONTINUED TO WRITE
ARTICLES FOR THE THINK TANK, RECEIVING HKD300,000 (USD38,500)
BY THE END OF 2004, ACCORDING TO THE LEAKED DOCUMENT.


3. (SBU) CHING'S FAMILY AND LAWYER, HE PEI-HUA, DECLINED TO
COMMENT ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE JUDGMENT PUBLISHED IN THE
MEDIA. HE PEI-HUA ADDED THAT THE JUDGMENT WAS A STATE SECRET
AND THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO PUBLISH IT. HONG KONG-BASED
MAINLAND LEGAL EXPERTS CONCLUDED THAT THE PUBLISHED VERDICT
WAS AUTHENTIC, HOWEVER. SEPARATELY, THE CHING CHEONG
INCIDENT CONCERN GROUP WILL HOLD A VIGIL TONIGHT TO PRAY FOR
CHING'S EARLY RELEASE; CARDINAL JOSEPH ZEN IS EXPECTED TO
LEAD THE PRAYER SESSION.


4. (C) COMMENT: GIVEN THAT CHING'S TRIAL WAS CLOSED AND DEALT
WITH SUPPOSEDLY SENSITIVE STATE SECRETS, IT IS SURPRISING
THAT HIS JUDGMENT AND THE DETAILS OF THE EVIDENCE WERE LEAKED
THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION OWNED BY A GENERALLY PRO-BEIJING
PUBLISHER. SPECULATION IN HONG KONG IS THAT BEIJING HAS FELT
A NEED TO CONVINCE HONG KONG'S PRO-BEIJING COMMUNITY OF
CHING'S GUILT. EVEN HABITUALLY PRO-BEIJING POLITICIANS AND
COMMENTATORS HAVE EXPRESSED DISMAY OVER CHING'S HARSH
SENTENCE; THEY CONSIDER HIM A PATRIOT. END COMMENT.
CUNNINGHAM