Vice-President Zeng Qinghong approved 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung's visit to the mainland to see his dying mother two years ago, sources close to Beijing have revealed.
Some pro-Beijing politicians believe the move explained the maverick legislator's relatively restrained protest at a banquet attended by the state leader nine days ago.
Mr Leung was given a one-off home return permit in October 2003 to visit Zengcheng, east of Guangzhou, to be with his 81-year-old mother in her final hours.
A source said: 'When Mr Zeng heard about Mr Leung's plight, the vice-president immediately ordered the Ministry of Public Security to let him visit his mother.'
On September 11, Mr Leung was thrown out of the banquet to which all 60 lawmakers had been invited to meet Mr Zeng after shouting democracy slogans as Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was about to speak.
Mr Leung got his message out but spared the Mr Zeng the embarrassment that would have been caused by interrupting his speech. Mr Leung said he took an early opportunity to chant the slogans as he feared he might be removed when the vice-president spoke.