Publisher Gui Minhai Officially Back in Jail

Gui Minhai flanked by two guards in a group interview in February 2018

In the midst of tackling the coronavirus crisis, a Chinese court today convicted Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai for "illegally providing intelligence for overseas entities," almost five years after he was detained.

He was sentenced to 10 years and deprivation of political rights for five years. A statement by the Intermediate People's Court of Ningbo said Gui would not appeal at the end of the trial.

In January 2018, Gui was traveling with then Swedish consul-general in Shanghai Lisette Lindahl and another Swedish diplomat on a train from Shanghai to Beijing. But when the train stopped in Jinan West Station in Shandong province, a group of plainclothes agents boarded the train and took Gui away within seconds.

Gui made a forced confession in 2016

However what does it mean to be charged for "illegally providing intelligence for overseas entities"?

Gui's long-time friend Bei Ling does not believe his friend received a fair trial in China. He also suspects the "intelligence" Gui was accused of providing was the detail of how he was kidnapped by Chinese agents in Thailand five years ago and brought to the mainland.

"What intelligence can he possibly have? He has been under surveillance by the Chinese government all the time and had his movements restricted," Bei said. "The only intelligence is how he was abducted by Chinese agents from Thailand."

Gui was one of the five booksellers who were disappeared in 2015. In his case Gui was taken from his apartment in Pattaya, Thailand and then sent to China. Later Gui made a video-taped forced confession, claiming to return to the mainland of his own volition to own up about a drunk-driving accident in Ningbo in 2003. He served two years in jail for this conviction. 

Then after he was taken off the train in January 2018, on February 18 that year, Gui made another strange statement in front of Hong Kong, Taiwanese and mainland media, denouncing the Swedish government for using him as "a chess piece" to make trouble with Beijing.

Gui with his daughter Angela in an undated photo

He also claimed Swedish diplomats were pressuring him to leave China.  Gui made these accusations in a 20-minute interview in a detention facility in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, with guards flanking him. 

And now he is back in jail again.

Sweden's foreign minister Ann Linde demanded on Tuesday that the Chinese authorities release Gui. "We have always been clear that we demand that Gui Minhai be released so that he is able to reunite with his daughter, his family, and that demand remains," she said.

We of course demand immediate access to our Swedish citizen in order to give him all consular support that he is entitled to," she added.

In a separate statement, the Swedish foreign minister said its diplomats "did not have access to the trial. We were unable to review the indictment or offer access to legal counsel."

Meanwhile Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in Beijing that Gui's rights and interests had been fully guaranteed, and that consular visits in general were put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.

How convenient.

Lam Wing-kee is surprised by Gui's conviction -- again

Gui's publishing associate, Lam Wing-kee said he was "a little surprised" that the mainland authorities had persisted with the case. "They arrested five people, all because of a certain book. This shows there could be further spillovers from this case," he said.

"I believe they want to use the trial [of Gui] to warn others against doing anything which may be found unacceptable by the Chinese authorities. Also, they want to send out the message that they won't let go their control of Hong Kong, even during a critical time when they need to spend a great deal of time and effort in tackling the coronavirus outbreak."

Lam suspects that since Gui has effectively been behind bars since 2015 that he may only serve another four years in jail. "This could be the reason why he did not want to appeal against the court's decision," he said.

Gui's case is tragic -- he has already been through so much and now several more years in jail. There are fears of his health condition worsening, as his daughter Angela claims he has symptoms of ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. When will his family be able to see him again?

Beijing's Scare Tactics

Lee Po seems to praise the mainland whenever the media ask questions

We're all still shaking our heads over how the missing bookseller incident came about and how it ended is still a mystery.

Whenever Lee Po was accosted by local media, he would say such pro-China statements -- coming from someone who used to publish books criticizing the Communist Party -- that they were too bizarre to accept.

In the latest twist to the story, a publisher who knows Lee Po, has come out to say that mainland agents had visited him three decades ago when he went back into the publishing business.

Publisher Lau Tat-man says mainland agents visit regularly

And during the height of the missing booksellers incident, the same agents visited Lau Tat-man three times in the span of a month.

He claimed they were from the Guangdong State Security Department and were investigating his connection with Causeway Bay Books.

"They told me the public security department was very angry about the banned books business and that I could be the mastermind behind the five booksellers in question and take advantage of their downfall to expand my business," Lau said.

Lau says he's speaking out now because his wife has been detained by Dongguan authorities since October 24 -- the same day and place one of the booksellers, Cheung Ping-chi, went missing. Lau hasn't heard from her since, nor have the mainland agents given him any updates about her.

The connection between him and Causeway Bay Books is interesting. Gui Minhai, who allegedly returned to the mainland to stand for charges of drunk driving many years ago, used to write for Lau on a freelance basis.

Gui and Lee also poached Lau's distribution staff, Lui Por and Cheung.

Mainland agents asked Lau about Causeway Bay Books

"I told the agents, they [Lui and Cheung] took all my business contacts and distribution data when they joined Gui and Lee. How can you accuse me of being behind their business?" he said.

The mainland agents contacted Lau again in mid-January, saying the Causeway Bay Books sellers had revealed information against Lau, and that he had expanded his banned books business (because Causeway Bay Books was not in operation).

"I told them, 'why don't you kidnap me to the mainland to sort things out?'," he recalled, adding that he'd been banned from getting a wui heung jing or return home permit to go there.

Hopefully media pressure will help Lau be reunited with his wife. But what did he do to have mainland agents visit him regularly, and detain his wife up from late October until now?

These stories just confirm Hong Kong people's fears about the mainland, making them even more concerned and worried about their future in the city, while getting no reassurances from the local government nor Beijing.

Is it not surprising then that the film Ten Years won best picture at last week's Hong Kong Film Awards, that there are more localist groups running for seats in the upcoming Legislative Council, that people get sensitive when simplified Chinese is used in the city?

What is Beijing's strategy to win the hearts and minds of Hong Kong people? Scaring them is hardly effective...

Evidence of Contradictions

Lee emailed Gui's daughter to tell her what may have happened to him

The big story today was the revelation in an email that bookseller Lee Po feared that his colleague Gui Minhai had been abducted by mainland agents, only to deny this later.

In an email dated November 10, Lee wrote to Gui's daughter Angela about her father Michael's disappearance.

Subject: Michael is missing

Hi Angela,

I am Paul Lee [Po], Michael's business partner, who had lunch with you and Michael last year in Hong Kong.

In the email Lee sounded concerned for Gui Minhai's fate

I write to you concerning the whereabouts of Michael. I wonder if you have known that he has been missing for more than 20 days, we fear that he was taken by special agents from China for political reasons.

We last talked to Michael by email on 15 October, and after that day, nobody could contact him. He was then staying in his apartment in Thailand. According to [Gui's wife]'s words told by the watchman of the building, he left the apartment with several men who claimed to be his friends.

Since we feel [Gui's wife] is hesitating and is not doing anything at the moment, and it's very little we can do to help him because we are not his next of kin. I then think of you, perhaps you can do something, and there are a lot of Michael's friends [who] are ready to help if you need them.

Do tell me what you think and what you want us to do.

Best,

Paul Lee

The email contradicts what Lee has said to Hong Kong authorities and on state television. He wrote a letter to his wife Sophie Choi Ka-ping, blaming Gui for his predicament and describing him as a "morally unacceptable person" who had a "complicated personal history".

Up until now, the Hong Kong government has maintained there was no evidence of cross-border law enforcement being undertaken over the disappearance. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has said such acts of law enforcement by mainland authorities in Hong Kong would be unacceptable as it would go against the Basic Law that protects the city's freedoms.

Meanwhile Lee's wife ordered the destruction of some 45,000 books that were critical of the Communist Party of China, in the hopes it would hasten the release of Po. But it seems like nothing has happened.

The publication of this email affirms the public's skepticism of what Lee said after his abduction to the mainland.

However, this may make it even harder for the remaining booksellers to come back. It's a sad prospect, but at least we know Lee knew what he was getting himself into, and seems like he too was scared.

One Freed, Four to Go

CW left: Lee Po, Gui Minhai, Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping and Lam Wing-kee

The plight of the missing booksellers continues to raise eyebrows with breaking news tonight that one of them has returned to Hong Kong.

Lui Por is the general manager of Mighty Current, the publishing house that specializes in books critical of the Communist Party of China.

He returned today through Lo Wu immigration check point and local authorities were alerted, who then waited for him at his Tai Wai home.

In a statement released by the force, the police "met with Lui Por who returned to Hong Kong from the mainland this morning. Lui Por requested police cancel his missing person case and stated that he did not require any assistance from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government or Police. He refused to disclose other details".

Lui Por as he appeared on state television on Monday

Lui hadn't been seen since October until Monday when he and his three colleagues appeared on state television to say Gui Minhai ordered Lui and his two other associates to deliver some 4,000 books across the border since October 2014.

They would cover the books with a romance novel cover and then wrap the books in black nylon to avoid screening detection.

One wonders what kind of psychological state Lui is in and will he even seek help to deal with his ordeal of " being disappeared" for about five months.

Our next question is when the other three, including Lee Po are released and how they will be released.

Experts believe Gui could be jailed for running an illegal business in China, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. But if he is convicted of other crimes, he could be jailed for much longer.

It is frightening how people are silenced by intimidation, and it seems Lui has been told to keep quiet for his own good. While we are relieved he is back, we may never know more about his time being detained, and how he dealt with being disappeared by Chinese authorities for so long.

More "Confessions" from Missing Booksellers

In a Phoenix TV interview, Lee Po says he willingly returned to the mainland

Things are getting weirder in the case of the missing booksellers.

Six weeks after Hong Kong police requested to meet with one of the five, Lee Po, who runs Causeway Bay Books, a police officer and immigration officer finally saw him face to face, at a guest house in an undisclosed location at Lee's request.

He told the pair he went to the mainland of his own free will, that he had not been abducted, but refused to elaborate. He even reiterated he was free and safe in the mainland and that he was helping with an investigation involving another missing bookseller, Gui Minhai.

Lee repeated his request for the police to end their investigation into his case and that he didn't need any help from the Hong Kong government. He said he would return home once the investigation was over.

Then yesterday the three other missing booksellers appeared on state television, the first time they were seen since they were reported missing in October.

CW top left: Gui Minhai, Lui Por, Lam Wing-kei, Cheung Chi-ping

The three made confessions on TV, admitting to "operating an illegal business" on the mainland.

Phoenix Television reported that Gui had allegedly ordered his associates -- Mighty Current general manager Lui Por, Causeway Bay Books manager Lam Wing-kee and Lui's assistant Cheung Chi-ping -- to mail 4,000 unauthorized books to 380 buyers in 28 mainland cities and provinces since October 2014.

The booksellers allegedly opened a bank account on the mainland to receive payment from mainland customers.

Nevertheless Lui, Lam and Cheung could be granted bail pending trial and return to Hong Kong soon due to their "good attitude", the Phoenix TV report said.

Gui also appeared on television, wearing the same grey jacket he wore in his first appearance, admitting to drunk driving and allegedly killing a young woman in 2003.

This time Gui said he and the three others studied ways to smuggle books across the border, including wrapping the covers with other books and then packaging them in black nylon bags to make it hard for the authorities to X-ray the books.

He added the books also escaped detection because they were loaded into trucks carrying other goods.

Causeway Bay Books manager Lam also said the books they produced were fabricated.

"The contents are compiled from information downloaded from the internet or from magazines. They created rumours and bad influences in the society," Lam said on TV.

The Chinese authorities are making the story more and more bizarre. They say the end is in sight for three accomplices once they go through some kind of legal process, but what about Lee and Gui? When will they be allowed to return to Hong Kong?

Even better Lee has said that he will renounce his British passport. Really? Has the Chinese government offered him permanent residency and a hukou because he has "special talents"?

Skeptical Hong Kong people continue to be shocked and appalled by the latest developments. As we've said before, the longer the Chinese authorities keep these five booksellers, the greater our distrust of Beijing...

The Missing Booksellers Saga Continues

The five missing booksellers are in custody by Guangdong police

The plight of the missing booksellers continues with three of them who have not been heard from since last October are now being held by Guangdong police, and that the trio are under investigation.

In addition, even though the Hong Kong police put in a request last night to speak to Lee Po in order to get more information about the trio, he apparently rebuffed them.

This is now confirmation that the Chinese authorities have Lui Por, Cheung Chi-ping and Lam Wing-kee in custody and they along with Gui Minhai and Lee Po have been suspected to be "involved in illegal activities on the mainland".

"Criminal compulsory measures were imposed on them and they were under investigation," Guangdong police wrote in a letter to their Hong Kong counterparts.

Gossipy books about Chinese leaders on sale in Hong Kong

They included a letter apparently from Lee stating that he "did not need to meet with them at the moment" and would contact them if he wished to do so. Lee's wife confirmed it was her husband's handwriting when she was shown the letter.

The story of the missing booksellers seems to be getting murkier and murkier... why wouldn't Lee want to meet with the Hong Kong authorities? How much longer will they be held for?

Some believe the five are being punished as a warning to others not to publish salacious books about senior Chinese leaders, despite the voracious market for them, and Mighty Current had a big corner on the market.

It published about five books a month, about 50 in a year, making up one-third of the market. Most of the readers were from the mainland, who would come to Hong Kong to buy these books to find out more information (truth or not) about their leaders.

Veteran journalist and writer Ching Cheong believes one of the main reasons why the Chinese authorities want to shut publishers like Mighty Current down is that political factions regularly leak information to publishers like Gui Minhai to embarrass their rivals.

Ironically while Causeway Bay Books is still shut, its books are selling at a political party's stall at the New Year fair in Victoria Park. Word is still getting out...

Hong Kong Video Plea goes Viral

Agnes Chow in a screen grab from the video posted on her Facebook page

A month ago, Agnes Chow Ting sent out a video plea on Facebook. Called "An urgent cry from Hong Kong" the video shows her reading out a letter in English, talking about the disappearance of the five booksellers, and how it was important to find out what happened to them.

That video went viral and was seen by over 1 million times and shared 13,000 times.
"I was quite surprised [when the video went viral]. It shows that people all over the world care about what is happening in Hong Kong -- they are shocked by it. I hope people will lean about the political situation and keep their eye on Hong Kong. I am really happy that everyone is showing their support," the Baptist University student and core member of Scholarism said.

"This is the first time that we are aware of Hong Kong people being taken to the mainland because of political feelings about Chinese President Xi Jinping."

Over a week ago Gui Minhai made a strange confession on state television, admitting to killing a young woman in a drunk driving accident in Zhejiang province in 2003, while Lee Po's wife was able to see her husband over a week ago in an undisclosed location on the mainland.

The other three associates have not been heard from since they disappeared.

Chow says more protests need to be organized to further pressure the Chinese government to reveal what has happened to the five people.

"I hope people will start to care more about the booksellers. This case shows we do not have the kind of freedoms we should," she said.

In her video, Chow talks about how Hong Kong people believed that with "one country, two systems", their rights and freedoms would be upheld.

"In the past, we were safe because we lived in Hong Kong instead of mainland China. However, the circumstances have changed with the abduction which was suspected to be done by the police in China towards this bookseller who kept being low profile before."

As a result, in the video, Chow says she fears for her safety too.

"I hope everyone in the world who believes in universal values of freedom and human rights could stand up and speak for this incident to stop the political suppression," she says.

"Even I am afraid of my personal safety after this incident. I still believe we should continuously fight for freedom from fear because it is an important core value that we should uphold."

In the end Chow quotes from German pastor Martin Niemöller, who became an outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler and voiced his regret for not doing enough for the victims of Nazi rule.

First they came for the activists, and I did not speak out. Because I was not an activist.

Then they came for the journalists and I did not speak out. Because I was not a journalist.

Then they came for the bookseller, and I did not speak out. Because I was not a bookseller.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.

Reality Stranger than Fiction

Gui on state media apparently admitting guilt to a fatal drunk driving incident

The case of the missing booksellers has taken a bizarre twist, as one of them, Gui Minhai, who holds a Swedish passport, suddenly emerged on Sunday on Chinese state television.

The co-owner of Mighty Current publishing company looked pained as he seemed to read from a statement admitting he fled the mainland to flee from a suspended two-year sentence for killing a 23-year-old woman while driving drunk in Ningbo, Zhejiang province in 2004.

One of the conditions of the sentence was that he had to stay in China.

"I was afraid of going to jail, and there was no way I could develop on the mainland, so I thought I better run," Gui said.

Causeway Bay book store is behind Sogo department store

He apparently surrendered to mainland Chinese police in October last year, though he has been missing since November.

"I have to shoulder my own liability, and I'm willing to be punished," he added, while sobbing.

However, while it is confirmed by his friend that Gui was involved in a drunk driving fatal accident, it is not clear exactly which year it was. While Gui said it was 2004, state media said it was 2003, though CCTV carried reports of the crash in April 2005 when Gui was 46 at the time.

But Gui was born in 1964 so he would have been 40 when the incident happened.

Some basic fact-checking was not done properly on this report.

Nevertheless, his daughter Angela has never heard about this drunk driving case before, and questions the authenticity of his supposed confession.

Gui's friend Bei Ling, co-founder and president of the Independent Chinese Pen Center, says it is highly unlikely Gui returned to the mainland to face charges.

Gui's Pattaya apartment where four men tried to take computers

"What has happened to him is abduction conducted by a country," Bei, a dissident poet said from Boston. "the Chinese government needs to come out and offer an explanation."

He also doubts the video-taped confession, saying it looked like Gui was reading from a "scripted speech".

Bei adds some men tried to go into Gui's apartment in Pattaya, Thailand and seize his computers, but the management office refused to let them in.

Reality seems stranger than fiction here. Meanwhile people in Hong Kong continue to be gripped by this case and wonder what this all means for the rest of us...