Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong accused of spying

Reporters Without Borders expressed dismay at accusations of spying levelled against Ching Cheong by the Chinese foreign ministry. The authorities in Beijing announced on 31 May that the correspondent for the Singapore daily Straits Times had confessed to being a spy in the pay of foreign agencies. The official statement read, "Ching Cheong confessed : Following instructions from a foreign intelligence agency, he engaged in intelligence gathering activities in China and received significant a large spying fee." The management of Straits Times said it was shocked at these accusations. The journalist's wife, Mary Lau, told the press that her husband had told her he could be held for a long period. She also explained that he had apparently fallen into a trap set by an intermediary as he was trying to obtain recordings of secret interviews with former prime minister Zhao Ziyang.

--------------------------

Hong Kong journalist detained in Beijing for more than one month

30 May 2005

Reporters Without Borders called on Singapore and Britain to act to obtain the release of journalist Ching Cheong (photo), Hong Kong correspondent for the Singapore daily Straits Times who has been detained in Beijing for more than one month.

The Singapore-resident journalist, who was picked up by Chinese police in Guangzhou, southern China on 22 April, is the holder of a British National Overseas (BNO) passport specific to Hong Kong. He faces a possible charge of "stealing state secrets".

The Singapore and British governments should pressure for the immediate release of the journalist, the worldwide press freedom organisation said in letter addressed to the Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and British Foreign Minister Jack Straw.

The organisation insisted that Singapore government had an obligation to protect the freedom of the journalist who was working for a pro-government newspaper Straits Times. The Singapore ministry of foreign affairs however stated on 30 May that the Chinese authorities had not contacted it about the subject so they did not have sufficient information.

Ching Cheong, 55, travelled to Guangzhou to collect documents connected with the former communist party leader, Zhao Ziyang, who died in January while under house arrest for negotiating with demonstrators in 1989.

Ching is the second journalist employed by a foreign newspaper to be detained in China. New York Times contributor, Zhao Yan, was arrested by Chinese authorities in October 2004 and accused of "divulging state secrets".

Human Rights