Despite his release on medical parole, tainted-milk activist Zhao Lianhai remained a taboo subject during the parliamentary session of the National People's Congress.
His case was cited by some Hong Kong deputies as an example of injustices that went on on the mainland, but time and again, senior mainland officials refused to respond.
In different closed-door meetings with Zhang Jun, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, and Qiao Xiaoyang , deputy secretary general of the NPC Standing Committee, local delegates mentioned Zhao's case. However, none of the officials responded, although deputies said the officials listened attentively to their views.
Zhao was jailed for 21/2 years for 'provoking quarrels and making trouble' after he organised a group to seek redress for the 300,000 victims of the melamine milk scandal.
One deputy, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no one would go into the details of Zhao's case at the meetings even though it had been mentioned.
Another deputy said he had been told privately by an official 'not to sign any submission like Lew Mon-hung's'.
Lew, a local delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, filed a proposal which suggested that Daxing District Court should be held accountable for unlawful acts, including the harsh judgment it handed down on Zhao.