Visits considered for wife of newsman

Requests by the wife of a Hong Kong journalist detained on the mainland to meet her husband are being processed, the security chief told lawmakers yesterday.

But Mary Lau Man-yee, the journalist wife of Ching Cheong, who has been under house arrest since April accused of spying, said she had heard nothing from the mainland authorities since last month.

Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong told a security panel meeting the government had conveyed Lau's wish to take medicine to her husband and said progress was being made. But he declined to give further details.

Mr Lee confirmed that Ching still had no lawyer.

Lau told the South China Morning Post she was increasingly worried as she had no new information about her husband and was disturbed by the uncertainty. 'I'm worried that he might be formally arrested soon,' she said.

Mr Lee told the panel meeting that officials from the Hong Kong government's Beijing office had tried to arrange a meeting with Ching, but the central government had declined.