Wife of ‘missing’ Hong Kong bookseller Lee Po reunited with husband in ‘secret’ meeting in mainland China
Hong Kong police out of the loop as Choi Ka-ping tells them Lee is a ‘witness’’ in an ongoing investigation
Missing bookseller Lee Po – as the police now refer to Lee Bo – met his wife at a secret location on the mainland over the weekend, almost a month after he vanished mysteriously from Hong Kong.
The unexpected meeting on Saturday afternoon and reported early yesterday morning sparked another controversy as mainland authorities were accused of sidelining the Hong Kong government, which was allegedly kept in the dark until Lee’s wife, Sophie Choi Ka-ping, made a report to the police hours after their reunion.
The unexplained disappearance of Lee Po and four others associated with Causeway Bay Books over the past three months made headlines around the world as many feared they had been abducted by mainland agents, thereby compromising the principle of “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong.
A letter from Lee Po, delivered by his wife to the Hong Kong police states the following:
I have not been kidnapped and definitely have not been arrested on the mainland for [purchasing] prostitution . I have already met with my wife. Over here I am free and safe.
To the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region police department:
I , Lee Po, a holder of Hong Kong identity card [withheld by SCMP] have recently been reported to be missing for some time, and would like to make a clarification.
Firstly, I really appreciate the police’s concern ... I have not been kidnapped and definitely have not been arrested on the mainland for [purchasing] prostitution
I have already met with my wife. Over here I am free and safe. My wife told me, after she received my phone call she did not intend to call the police. It was others that reported to the police, and incited her to report to the police. After that, she felt used and went to the police station to close the case.
I hope the Hong Kong police will not continue to waste police resources on my case, and there’s no need to continue investigating. I went to the mainland to co-operate in an investigation voluntarily. Solving a problem takes some time, it involves many of my private and company’s internal affairs, I hope all sectors of society can respect my personal privacy, and give my family and I some personal space. I earnestly request the police to protect my family, and not allow them to come under further outside harassment.
Choi gave the officers who spoke to her a letter from Lee, which police said in their press release was similar in content to previous letters Lee has issued through third parties.
It is understood she told police that Lee was in good health and his spirits were fine.
The unexpected meeting on Saturday afternoon and reported early yesterday morning sparked another controversy as mainland authorities were accused of sidelining the Hong Kong government, which was allegedly kept in the dark until Lee’s wife, Sophie Choi Ka-ping, made a report to the police hours after their reunion.
The unexplained disappearance of Lee Po and four others associated with Causeway Bay Books over the past three months made headlines around the world as many feared they had been abducted by mainland agents, thereby compromising the principle of “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong.
Almost a week after the Hong Kong police wrote to the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department requesting a meeting with Lee, Choi alerted the police on Saturday night that she had met her husband, who was “assisting in an investigating as a witness” at a mainland guest house.
“According to Mrs Lee, Lee Po was healthy and in good spirits, and said that he was assisting in an investigation in the capacity of a witness,” a police statement released at 2.07am yesterday morning said, adding that the wife did not reveal details of the venue.
Both police and the Security Bureau did not respond to media inquiries yesterday, saying they had nothing to add.
Lee also passed on a letter to police via his wife, in which he said he was “safe and free” and urged law enforcers to stop investigating his case.
“I have not been kidnapped and definitely have not been arrested on the mainland for [paying] prostitutes,” the statement read. “I hope the Hong Kong police will not continue to waste police resources on my case.”
Lee said his wife, who earlier withdrew her police report on his disappearance, had been incited by others to file the report and “felt used”.
Lee, 65, and four of his associates – who specialise in selling books banned by Beijing which are often critical of the Communist Party and sometimes salacious – have gone missing from Hong Kong in mysterious circumstances over the past three months.
Timeline: Hong Kong’s missing booksellers and what has happened so far
“According to Mrs. Lee, Lee Po was healthy and in good spirits, and said that he was assisting in an investigation in the capacity of a witness. After the meeting, Lee Bo asked her to pass on a letter addressed to the Hong Kong Police.”
The police statement, issued at 2:07am Sunday morning, said: “The Hong Kong Police yesterday night (January 23) were informed by the wife of Mr. Lee Bo that she had met with Lee Bo in the afternoon of January 23 at a guesthouse on the Mainland.
“According to Mrs. Lee, Lee Bo was healthy and in good spirits, and said that he was assisting in an investigation in the capacity of a witness. After the meeting, Lee Bo asked her to pass on a letter addressed to the Hong Kong Police. The letter’s content was similar to previous letters penned by Lee Bo.
“Mrs Lee did not disclose any further details regarding the location of the meeting or the nature of the investigation Lee Bo was involved in.’’
It is 18 days since Lee’s wife stood before Hong Kong’s media and announced she had received a fax from her missing husband, and withdrew her missing persons report to Hong Kong police.
READ MORE: Wife of missing Hong Kong bookseller Lee Po says his note had his ‘real handwriting’ as lawmaker alleges he fled with associates to seek prostitutes
It is almost one week since Lee’s colleague and fellow employee of Causeway Bay Books, Gui Minhai, was paraded on state television, giving a confession that he had absconded from a suspended sentence given to him after he was charged with manslaughter while drunk driving.
The police statement added that “... in order to obtain further details of the circumstances of the case, the Hong Kong Police have on the same day issued another request to the Guangdong Public Security Department to assist in arranging a meeting between Lee Po and the Hong Kong Police ...’.’
Lee, a Hong Kong resident who also holds a British passport, was last seen on December 30 at the Chai Wan warehouse of Mighty Current – the publishing house which specialises in titles banned on the mainland for revealing secrets about China’s top leadership – and is speculated to have been forcibly taken to the mainland by security officials or triad members.
READ MORE: ‘Dear Ping...’ Another letter from missing Hong Kong bookseller Lee Po surfaces
The 65-year-old bookseller’s disappearance is the latest after four of his colleagues – Gui Minhai, Cheung Ji-ping, Lui Po and Lam Wing-kei – all vanished separately in October last year.
Gui disappeared while on holiday in Thailand in mid-October, and Cheung, Lui and Lam vanished later that month on the mainland.
The five disappearances have prompted a wave of concern among the Hong Kong public and raised questions about the city’s special status as a Special Adminsitrative Region of China.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Ngo
