Hong Kong bookseller Lee Po is not telling the full story, police chief says

HongKongpolicecommissionerStephenLoWai-chung,andLeePo(inset).Photos:SCMPPictures

(SCMP) HongKong’spolicechiefsaidonTuesdayhesuspectedCausewayBaybooksellerLeePowashidingsomething,butthattheforcewouldhavetoaccepthisstorythathehadsneakedintothemainlandofhisownfreewillinordertohelpwithaninvestigation.

CommissionerStephenLoWai-chungsaidtherewasnopointinseekinganothermeetingwithLeeinthenearfuture,afterhemetapoliceofficerandanimmigrationofficeronMonday,sixweeksafterHongKongmadetherequest.

LoalsosaidtherewasnoevidencetosupportspeculationthatLeewaskidnappedbymainlandagentslastDecemberoverthesaleofbannedbooksacrosstheborder.

TheforceisinadilemmaastohowtoproceedwithitsinvestigationintoLee’smysteriousdisappearance,ashehasmadecleartothevisitingofficersthathedoesnotwanttheirhelp.

ThecontroversytookyetanotherdiplomatictwistonTuesday,withaBritishgovernmentspokesmantellingthePosttheUKwasstill“readytoprovideconsularassistance”toLeeandhiswife,eventhoughtheyhadbothdecidedtogiveuptheirBritishcitizenship.

TheSwedishforeignministryalsotoldthePostthatitsstafffromtheBeijingembassyonFebruary24hadbeenallowedtovisitGuiMinhai,acolleagueofLee’sandaSwedishnational,whoalsowentmissingandturneduponthemainland.AministryspokesmanwouldonlysayGuiwas“well”.

GrilledbyreportersaboutLeeonTuesday,HongKong’spolicechiefsaid:“Wedon’tsee[evidence]thathewasforciblytakenaway.WehavemetMrLeeinperson,andhesaidthatheusedhisownmeanstoleaveHongKongforthemainland.Thus,atthismomentwhenwedonothaveotherevidence,wehaveacceptedwhathesaid.”

However,LoadmittedthatLeewasnottellingthemthefullstory.

“Ibelievethatifwearetomeethimagaininthenearfuture,therewillbenonewupdates.Therewassomethinghedidnotrevealtous,”Losaid.

BeforeLeevanishedattheendofDecember,GuidisappearedfromPattayainThailandinOctober.Theirpublishingcolleagues,LuiPor,LamWing-keeandCheungChi-ping,disappearedthatsamemonth,buteveryonesurfacedacrosstheborderlater.

LeestucktohisstoryonMondaythathewasnotkidnappedandwashelpingwithaninvestigationintoGui,whohasbeenaccusedofsmugglingbannedbooksintothemainland.HeaskedHongKongpolicetodroptheirinvestigation.Butthepolicechiefsaidtheinvestigationwasnotyetover.

“WewillwaitforhimtocomebacktoHongKong.OnceheishereinHongKong,whenwehavetherighttocarryoutlawenforcementduties,wewillmeethimagain,”Losaid.

Meanwhile,someHongKongdelegatestoChina’sparliamentandtoppoliticaladvisorybodyintendtopressthecentralgovernmentforanswersatannualmeetingsoftheNationalPeople’sCongressandtheChinesePeople’sPoliticalConsultativeConferenceinBeijingthismonth.

MichaelTienPuk-sun,alocaldelegatetotheNPC,said:“LeePostillhasnotexplainedhowheendeduponthemainland.Iamconcernedifthemainlandauthoritieshadexerciseddutiesacrosstheborder.”

AnotherNPCdelegate,MiriamLauKin-yeeoftheLiberalParty,willaskBeijingtorevealmoredetails“atasuitabletime”.