Public pressure from Hong Kong played a crucial role in yesterday's dramatic twist in the case of jailed melamine milk activist Zhao Lianhai , who will probably be released on medical parole, his supporters say. It is unprecedented for Beijing to release a mainland convict so soon following lobbying from Hong Kong. In an unusual move, Xinhua's Hong Kong branch said yesterday morning that a medical parole application from Zhao was being processed. Zhao, it added, had accepted the court verdict and not appealed. Just two weeks ago, upon hearing the sentence, Zhao was so furious that he took off his prison uniform and slammed it on the judge's desk. Medical parole is applicable to convicts who have served a third of their term. Since Zhao has been detained for a year, he could be released at any time. On Sunday, Xinhua's Hong Kong branch released another report that defended Zhao's controversial jailing on November 10, saying it was specifically addressing 'concerns in Hong Kong'. Beijing's Daxing District People's Court jailed Zhao for 2? years for 'provoking quarrels and making trouble' by campaigning for the rights of victims of the melamine scandal, which made 300,000 children ill two years ago. Hong Kong politicians from across the spectrum, including pro-Beijing lawmakers and National People's Congress deputies, united in calling for Zhao's release. Li Fangping and Peng Jian, Zhao's former lawyers who were sacked unexpectedly on Monday, said they believed the public pressure from Hong Kong was a decisive factor in Beijing's decision to consider releasing Zhao. 'Hong Kong is not only helping one person, but the conscience of China,' Peng said. Hong Kong-based journalist Ching Cheong, who was jailed on the mainland for almost three years despite intense public pressure from Hong Kong, said the NPC deputies and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) played a vital role. 'As a result, Beijing had no choice but to make some concessions,' he said. Legal scholar Ong Yew-kim said the decision was a face-saving move by Beijing, which was alarmed by the widespread outrage in Hong Kong but at the same time refused to correct its decision through legal procedures. 'The latest development means Beijing has acknowledged that the court ruling was wrong but has no way to reverse it,' Ong said. Li said he believed Zhao accepted the deal under immense pressure, but he would respect Zhao's decision. 'It's a shame that the verdict cannot be changed through filing an appeal,' he said. Xiang Qingyu , whose four-year-old son suffers kidney problems after drinking melamine-laced milk powder, respected Zhao's decision but said the campaign for victims' compensation would be hampered. Zhao's freedom is likely to be restricted after his release and he could easily go back to jail if he refuses to co-operate with the government, Li said. Zhao's wife, Li Xuemei , was under house arrest and denied permission to meet anyone yesterday. Calls to her home went unanswered. But yesterday's twist did manage to defuse the pressure from Hong Kong, with pro-Beijing politicians who had called for Zhao's release softening their stance. Lawmaker Ip Kwok-him of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, whose party joined the signature campaign, said it was 'acceptable, although not the best solution'. CPPCC delegate Lew Mon-hung, who planned to write to state leaders about Zhao's case, said after a meeting with the central government's liaison office yesterday that 'at least the central government still cares about people's sentiments rather than being stubborn until the end'. Other Beijing loyalists said medical parole was the most pragmatic solution. Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said the central government was 'masking its rude damage to the legal system with seemingly humane treatment'. 'Zhao was even deprived of his right to lodge an appeal,' he said. Additional reporting by Ambrose Leung and Choi Chi-yuk
