Causeway Bay bookseller Lee Po takes to Facebook, claims he’s never felt so relieved ... and praises mainland economy
But doubts linger over the post as it could not be located online and the media outlet that reported it is owned by a Beijing loyalist
Causeway Bay bookseller Lee Po said he’s feeling relieved for the first time in his life in a gushing Facebook post reportedly detailing his latest trip to the mainland.
Sing Tao Daily, owned by Beijing loyalist Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, reported on Saturday night that Lee took to social media after going to Xiamen (廈門), where he visited the graves of his ancestors ahead of the Ching Ming festival.
Lee was quoted as saying he was thankful for what he had as he prayed in front of a statue.
He reportedly posted that he had a feeling of being “clear and relieved” and that he had “never felt that ever in my life”.
Attempts by the Post to locate the reported Facebook post were unsuccessful.
The bookseller vanished from Hong Kong last December and later surfaced on the mainland, sparking concerns he was kidnapped and taken across the border over the smuggling and sale of banned books critical of China’s leaders.
Lee returned to Hong Kong last month, but told local authorities he did not need any police or government assistance. He said he felt at ease after settling all his problems with the mainland.
But human rights activists were unconvinced and believed Lee was reading a script prepared by Beijing.
Sing Tao Daily also revealed the itinerary of Lee’s trip, saying it began last Wednesday in Xiamen, where he had a vegetarian meal and visited Xiamen University.
Lee was quoted as feeling proud of the country’s progress as he visited Gulangyu, an island off the coast of Xiamen, where he saw “renovated houses” and “afforested streets”.
“Looking at the excited tourists, I cannot help but feel the prosperity of mainland economy and the wealth of people,” he said. “How great the progression is over the past 20 years.”
Headline Daily, a sister newspaper to Sing Tao Daily, was the only media outlet to obtain the letter Lee sent to his wife in January in which he claimed it was his own decision to return to the mainland.
When asked if he was convinced by the articles his papers published on Lee yesterday, Ho said he believed the bookseller had not been mistreated in the mainland.
“He is in good spirits, just like a normal person,” said Ho. “That has proven that he has not been imprisoned … and tortured.”
