TNAG-2908-FCO40-4182-Detention-of-Hong-Kong-residents-in-China-1993 — Page 57

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CONFIDENTIAL

8

042126 MDADAN 5104

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 299

OF 250745Z FEBRUARY 93

ADVANCE COPY

CC Consider Dept the Marn's

Sue Fleming

се

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

HONG KONG RESIDENT DETAINED IN CHINA: CHONG KWEE SUNG

25/2

Mr Barnes-Jones

This all rounds

pretty tad. Cold

you cancel will-

FEM) (+ Consoler (?)

tel?

1. WE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF THE EMBASSY COULD BE INSTRUCTED TO RAISE WITH THE CHINESE THE CASE OF CHONG KWEE SUNG, A HONG KONG BUSINESSMAN HELD IN DETENTION IN ZHENGZHOU WITHOUT BEING CHARGED FOR MORE THAN 1 1/2 YEARS.

2.

WE FIRST RAISED THE CASE WITH NCNA IN JUNE 1992 AT THE REQUEST OF CHONG'S HONG KONG COMPANY. THE FACTS OF THE CASE AS WE HAD THEM FROM THE COMPANY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

THE CASE STARTED WITH A COMMERCIAL DISPUTE WITH A MAINLAND COMPANY CCHINA NATIONAL LIGHT INDUSTRY HENAN) ARISING FROM A SHIPMENT OF BICYCLES WHICH PROVED TO BE OF SUBSTANDARD QUALITY. CHONG IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE HONG KONG COMPANY INVOLVED CHERO LUCK INDUSTRIES LTD). IN AUGUST 1991 WHEN HE WAS IN SHENZHEN HE WAS DETAINED BY THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU AND SENT TO ZHENGZHOU IN HENAN, THE LOCATION OF THE CHINESE COMPANY INVOLVED IN THE DISPUTE. THE COMPANY HEARD NOTHING UNTIL NOVEMBER 1991 WHEN THEY RECEIVED A FAX SAYING THAT CHONG COULD BE RELEASED IF THEY PAID U S DOLLARS 500,000. CHONG'S LAWYER AND ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS HAD VISITED ZHENGZHOU BUT BEEN DENIED ANY ACCESS TO CHONG HIMSELF. AT VARIOUS POINTS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG COMPANY HAD BEEN THREATENED WITH DETENTION: AND WARNED THAT IF THEY DID NOT MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU/COMPANY THEN THEY WOULD NEVER SEE CHONG AGAIN.

WE EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN AT THE CLOSE INVOLVEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU WHO APPEARED TO BE ACTING ALMOST AS THE AGENTS OF THE CHINESE COMPANY INVOLVED. APART FROM OUR CONCERN FOR MR CHONG HIMSELF, WE ALSO URGED THE CHINESE TO CONSIDER THE PUBLIC IMPRESSION THAT THIS SORT OF CASE MIGHT MAKE IF IT HIT THE PRESS.

3. WHEN THEY REPLIED IN AUGUST 1992, NCNA TOLD US THAT CHONG WAS SUSPECTED OF DEFRAUDING A CHINESE COMPANY OF US DOLLARS 1.06 MILLION. THEY CONFIRMED HE HAD BEEN DETAINED IN SHENZHEN IN

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