Lee Meng-chu: Taiwan businessman accused of spying in China is freed
Tears ran down Lee Meng-chu’s face as he got ready to board a plane at Beijing airport on Monday.
The flight out of China marked the end of a harrowing ordeal for the Taiwanese businessman who had been held in the country for more than 1,400 days.
“I felt a huge relief after going through the passport check, and I cried a little,” he told the BBC this week. “I have returned to the free world.”
Mr Lee was arrested and jailed in 2019 after he snapped pictures of police officers in Shenzhen. He was accused of espionage and stealing state secrets – a charge he now denies.
He was released from jail in July 2021, but was prevented from leaving China as he was “deprived of political rights”.
It is rare for Beijing to impose this penalty, which includes an exit ban, on convicts who are not mainland Chinese nationals. Activists say that Mr Lee’s Taiwanese identity may have prompted authorities to make a political point, amid escalating tensions.
Taiwan regards itself as a self-ruled island, distinct from mainland China, with its own laws and democratically elected leader.
However, China sees island as a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under Beijing’s control, by force if necessary.
Like the thousands of Taiwanese who do business in China, Mr Lee visited the country on a work trip in August 2019. At the time he was working for a tech company.
He was no stranger to China, as he previously worked and lived in the eastern city of Suzhou, and also travelled to mainland China about twice a year.
When he visited tensions were running high because Hong Kong was engulfed in the most widespread pro-democracy protests it had ever seen. Almost every weekend, the city saw increasingly violent clashes between the police and protesters.
Curious and sympathetic to the protesters’ cause, Mr Lee made a brief detour to Hong Kong, where he watched a rally from the sidelines and passed out pamphlets with messages of support. Then, he went to neighbouring Shenzhen in mainland China to meet a colleague.
At that time, hundreds of armed police officers gathered and armoured vehicles were on display at a stadium in Shenzhen. Many were worried that Beijing would send in these forces to quell the protests in Hong Kong.
The businessman spotted the activity from his hotel room window, so he walked over to the stadium and took some photos. He said there were no warning signs and he didn’t cross the police cordon. Many others were also photographing the scene, he said.
Mr Lee denies he was spying. “I am only a curious passer-by… if it really were some state secret, how could everything be seen from a hotel?”
When he was departing Shenzhen, ten video cameras he was transporting back to Taiwan for his business caught the attention of airport officials.
They stopped him to search his luggage and his phone, and found his pamphlets as well as the photos of police forces at the Shenzhen stadium.
National security officers then brought him to a hotel to undergo “residential surveillance at a designated location”. For 72 days, he was not allowed to leave his room and watched by three people every day. He wasn’t allowed to watch TV, read newspapers, open the curtains or even speak.
“I was actually looking forward to their questioning every day, or otherwise no one was willing to speak to me,”Mr Lee said. “Every day I had nothing to do so I just cleaned the floor, under the bed and the ceiling. It was painful.”
Activists say Beijing often uses this secretive and arbitrary form of detention against those accused of national security offences. They can be held for months without trial.
Mr Lee was then whisked off to a detention centre, and only resurfaced months later.
He appeared on state broadcaster CCTV saying he felt sorry for “doing some harm to the motherland”.
Mr Lee told the BBC he apologised in the hopes that he would be released as soon as possible. “You couldn’t be bothered by things like dignity.”
But soon after, he went on trial and was sentenced to one year and ten months in jail for “foreign espionage and illegally sending state secrets”.
Chinese state media ran extensive reports about his case, alleging he had taken the pictures of the Shenzhen stadium to send to Taiwanese groups.
They also cited the fact that he had studied in the US and was a member of Taiwanese non-governmental organisations to allege he was a Taiwan independence activist, which Mr Lee denies.
Mr Lee served his sentence in a Guangdong jail, where he was crammed into a small cell with 15 other prisoners. But for him, prison was an improvement from residential surveillance – at least he had company.
He was put to work in a production line and had to wrap computer cables every day. If they failed to finish their tasks on time, they would be physically punished, he said.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has not responded to the BBC’s questions. The BBC has not been able to independently verify all of Mr Lee’s claims, but his account of his time in detention is similar to those shared by other detainees.
During his trial Mr Lee had been sentenced to “deprivation of political rights”. At the time he did not give it too much thought, he said, as he did not see himself as a Chinese citizen in the first place.
But a month before his scheduled release, he was shocked to find out that he couldn’t leave the mainland for another two years.
Yaqiu Wang of Human Rights Watch said that in Mr Lee’s case, “the Chinese government wanted to make a point that he’s a Chinese citizen”.
It is difficult to ascertain the number of Taiwan-linked individuals arrested in China for national security offences. However, it is “reasonable” to assume the number is increasing amid worsening relations between Beijing and Taipei, she said.
In April, Taiwan-based publisher Fucha, who often printed books critical of Beijing, was held for an investigation for endangering national security. Earlier that month, Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan was charged with secession.
The difference in the Chinese authorities’ treatment of Mr Lee compared to previous cases may also be a sign that they are getting tougher on Taiwanese detainees.
When human rights activist Lee Ming-che completed his five-year sentence last year, he was allowed to fly back to Taiwan right away.
In Lee Meng-chu’s case, he said he was contacted by Chinese police several times in the first weeks after his release. When he tried to leave China by boarding a flight in Shanghai, he was stopped by immigration officers.
After a while, he sensed he was under less stringent police surveillance. Since he couldn’t leave the country, the travel enthusiast decided to visit 100 cities across China, tapping into his savings and funds from his family.
But it was a lonely existence. His family hesitated to contact him, fearing further retaliation against him. Other Taiwanese businessmen distanced themselves from him, fearing they would be targeted by Chinese authorities as well.
“I already fell victim [to Beijing], being isolated by my own people was like being victimised for the second time,” he said.
He gradually made friends with Chinese nationals, including activists and human rights lawyers. Initially, he worried that he would be recognised, or even attacked, after his state media appearance.
It was the opposite, Mr Lee said. Many of them showed him kindness, and even offered him a place to stay.
Mr Lee is now in Japan, where he plans to lay low and recover from his ordeal before returning to Taiwan.
He said he used to only think about China as a place to do lucrative business – but now he has gained a new understanding.
“I did not pay too much attention to the bad things happening behind the façade,” he said.
“I thought the Communist Party got better. It was not until this happened to me that I realised I was too naïve.”
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BMA under fire over Ashton Asoke
Court rules against B6bn condo project
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is under increasing pressure to take action in response to Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court, which invalidated the construction permit granted to the already finished 6-billion-baht Ashton Asoke condominium project in Watthana district of Bangkok after a long legal dispute.
About 580 people who had purchased a unit at this luxury 50-storey condominium project, which has 783 units, are now being affected by the court’s ruling.
Activist Srisuwan Janya, who is also president of the Stop Global Warming Association, and who has led a group of residents of a community living near the residential project in a fight against it, said yesterday he will next petition Mr Chadchart to promptly set up a panel to probe all officials at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) who share responsibility in approving the now invalid construction permit granted to the developer Ananda Development Plc.
These BMA officials will have to be held responsible for their roles in the approval of the illegitimate permit, he said.
Thursday’s ruling has sent shockwaves through the real estate sector as at least 13 more residential projects and more than 100 shopping mall projects are using state land in a similar manner as Ashton Asoke did, and they now risk facing similar legal action as well, said the source.
Starting in 2016, the association, together with 15 people living in the Sukhumvit 19 Yaek 2 community, filed an administrative suit against the Watthana district office chief and four other district officials over their approval of the construction permit for this project.
More officials at the building control division of the BMA’s Department of Public Works, as well as some officials at the Traffic and Transport Department of the BMA, should also be held responsible for this mistake, he said.
According to Thursday’s ruling, the construction permit was unlawful because the high-rise project lacks a proper entrance.
Under the building control law, this is required to be at least 12 metres wide and connected with a public road for safety reasons, such as in the event of a fire.
The permission that was granted to the project in an agreement signed between the developer and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) to allow a part of the MRTA’s land to be used as the project’s entrance was also unlawful, according to the same ruling.
Following the ruling, Ananda insisted in a statement that it had fully complied with the law when applying for the construction permit, which was granted on Nov 17, 2017, to Ananda MF Asia Asoke Co, Ananda’s joint venture operating the Ashton Asoke project.
The project was granted with permission by up to eight state agencies as required before the construction could begin, said the company.
“If Mr Chadchart fails to take action immediately, myself and the other affected parties will petition the Anti-Corruption Commission to take action against Mr Chadchart as well,” said Mr Srisuwan.
6-day tourism bonanza for Thai islands
Govt-backed break inspires travellers
CHON BURI: Beaches and tourist attractions in Pattaya buzzed with tourists yesterday, the first day of a six-day long holiday, with hotel rooms on Koh Larn, an island situated about 7 kilometres off the coast, fully booked.
Many Thais and foreign tourists boarded ferries at Bali Hai pier in South Pattaya yesterday to reach the island, resulting in the Pattaya City Municipality and the Marine Office deploying officials to facilitate their travel at the pier.
Authorities sought cooperation from ferry operators to strictly abide by safety rules regarding boat passenger numbers, while passengers were told to wear life jackets.
More parking spaces were also arranged to accommodate the rising number of vehicles, local authorities said.
Hotel operators said the room occupancy rate was 100% for the estimated 3,000 rooms on the island since early this month.
There was a rise in demand for rooms on Koh Larn after the caretaker cabinet on July 25 approved a cabinet secretariat proposal to declare Monday as a special government holiday, creating a six-day vacation period from July 28 to Aug 2 to spur tourism.
Yesterday was His Majesty the King’s birthday, Aug 1 is Asanha Bucha Day, and Aug 2 is the beginning of Buddhist Lent — all of which are government holidays. The extra day makes it an uninterrupted six day-weekend for government employees.
The long holiday period was expected to generate more than 100 million baht on the island.
Meanwhile, Koh Samui airport in the southern province of Surat Thani was lively and crowded with Thai and foreign tourists, who began arriving in large numbers at the island yesterday, thanks to the cabinet’s decision.
All Bangkok Airways flights from Suvarnabhumi airport to Samui were fully booked, as were all direct flights from Hong Kong and Singapore to the island.
Many other tourists arrived on the island from Surat Thani by ferry.
It was estimated that at least 20,000 tourists will visit Koh Samui during the long holiday, substantially boosting the local economy.
Some of the visitors are expected to continue their journey from Koh Samui to visit other islands, including Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, especially those among the younger generations looking to attend the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan at Hat Rin beach on Aug 3.
5 Thais die on road trip
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
Five Thais died in a road collision yesterday while passing through Laos to board a train to China.
The incident occurred in Boten of Luang Namtha province, Laos, said Pol Lt Col Kanyawarat Jullasat, deputy chief of the Chiang Khong border immigration office.
Just past midnight, a tour group of 20 people travelling in two passenger vans collided with an 18-wheeler truck on the R3A Road connecting Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai to Boten. The accident occurred some 100 kilometres away from the Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, she said.
The group had planned to board a train in Laos to continue their journey to Kunming in China.
The collision happened when the truck slammed into one of the vans while making a wide turn. It claimed the lives of five Thai passengers and a Laotian driver. Three other members of the tour group sustained injuries.
The five Thai casualties were Nui Meechai, 68; Yupa Meechai, 66; Kanchana Ngernyen,68; Khamsai Chompubai, 59; and Boonnam Artpakdee, 68. All were natives of Wiang Pa Pao district of Chiang Rai.
Rescue workers took the injured to Chiang Khong Crown Prince Hospital.
Park chief shunted over illegal resorts
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
The head of Khao Kho National Park has been ordered transferred to an inactive post, and an inquiry launched after several resorts were found encroaching on a forest reserve in Phetchabun province.
On Thursday, a snap inspection was conducted, led by the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) and Khao Kho National Park chief Prasan Iadsang.
It focused on Pha Hua Sing (lion head cliff), which is part of the park.
They found two resorts illegally occupying park territory. The first one was Phu Thap Boek Suansawan, situated about 200 metres from the edge of Pha Hua Sing on a 69-rai (110,400-square-metre) plot of land. The second resort, known as Good View-Hot View Suansawan Phu Thap Boek, was approximately 100 metres from the cliff’s edge and included a 100-metre-long stretch of land being used for camping.
Documentation for both sites was seized, and charges were laid for violating forestry laws, including the unauthorised destruction of natural resources.
Atthaphon Charoenchansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said yesterday that the issue is not being taken lightly, and the head of the national park was ordered transferred from the area to an inactive post and will be subjected to a thorough investigation by a committee.
Demolition of the illegal resorts has been authorised, Mr Atthaphon added.
Thanathorn queried over Thaksin claims
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the Progressive Movement and key supporter of the Move Forward Party (MFP), has been questioned if he has made a political deal with Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party.
Assoc Prof Somchai Preechasinlapakun, who is a Chiang Mai University law scholar, said that Mr Thanathorn owes other MFP supporters a clear answer whether he had recently negotiated a deal with Thaksin in Hong Kong.
“[Mr Thanathorn] remains tight-lipped about this very question, and this will only shatter confidence in the MFP’s political direction,” said Assoc Prof Somchai, who stated he voted for MFP in the May 14 general election.
“As a citizen of Thailand, I expect to see a straightforward political development, not another political game being played through secret negotiations,” he said.
According to a Pheu Thai source, a political deal involving the forming of a new government was reached in Hong Kong between Mr Thanathorn and Thaksin, who has vowed to return to Thailand on Aug 10 after living in self-imposed exile for almost two decades.
Assoc Prof Somchai said if Mr Thanathorn didn’t go to Hong Kong, he needs to dismiss the rumour; but if he did go and was involved in negotiations, he must explain why.
Responding to media reports about the alleged Hong Kong deal, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, an MFP list-MP, tweeted that he didn’t pay much attention to whether or not it was true.
“Even if I end up feeling like a fool when I realise I have been deceived and lost everything, my honesty and integrity will still be here with me. And I can still walk with my chin up and face anyone as usual,” he said on Twitter.
“And even if this mission is doomed to fail because of betrayal, that will still be better than making it fail now due to distrust within the team.”
Rangsiman Rome, another key list-MP for the MFP, declined to comment on the rumour, saying he wasn’t in a position to comment as Mr Thanathorn doesn’t hold a formal position in the MFP.
Attachak Satayanuruk, a history scholar at Chiang Mai University, said he thinks Thaksin’s announced return to Thailand is part of a deal between him, Pheu Thai and a side that the scholar described as the ruling class.
These sides are in a deal due to their mutual fears that the MFP’s reformist movement could threaten their political security, said Mr Attachak.
As a part of the deal, Thaksin will look for ways to divide the supporters of Pheu Thai and MFP as much as possible so as to stall the MFP’s reformist movement, said Mr Attachak.
King calls for ‘Thai wisdom’
Prosperity predicted in birthday speech
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
His Majesty the King has urged all Thais to use their wisdom and judgement and set their mind on doing what is right not only for their own good but also the benefit of others in a speech marking his 71st birthday.
His Majesty the King grants a grand audience, or ‘Maha Samakhom’, to members of the royal family, senior government officials and dignitaries as they gather to wish him a happy birthday at the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace yesterday. Bureau of the Royal Household
In remarks delivered to his well-wishers at a grand audience, or Maha Samakhom, at the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall in the Grand Palace, the King said working to bring about national prosperity is the most important task and will require good and smart governance as well as support from the entire nation.
“I wish that those of you who hold key positions in the main institutions and the people, through wisdom and judgement, set their mind on carrying out tasks that are good and right for themselves and the others. The results of these actions will lead to the prosperity of the nation and peace and happiness of the people,” he said.
His Majesty also expressed his appreciation and thanks for the birthday wishes conveyed to him by representatives of the royal family members and senior officials led by the parliament president, prime minister and the Supreme Court president.
In honour of the King’s birthday, the combined armed forces yesterday fired a 21-gun salute each while yellow-clad well-wishers gathered at designated places across the country to pay respect and wish the monarch a happy birthday.
Meanwhile, the grand reception, or Samosorn Sannibat, gala will be held today at Government House in honour of the King’s birthday, said deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek yesterday.
His Majesty has granted the government permission to host the night event, and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana will also attend the event, which starts at 7pm and will be broadcast live on television, she said.
About 1,888 pairs of guests have been invited, and they include political office holders, senior state officials and foreign diplomats, she said.
According to Ms Rachada, the government has put the final touches on the grand reception and appreciates the cooperation it received from both the state and private sectors, including the Fine Arts Department and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
She added that the reception will also feature a special khon Thai classical masked dance by performers from the Bunditpatanasilp Institute of Fine Arts and live orchestra music by Mahidol University’s College of Music.
Parties to decide on bloc’s future
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
The Pheu Thai Party will hold a meeting with its partners next week to discuss the future of the eight-party coalition and notify other parties outside the bloc and opposing senators about the outcome of the discussions.
Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai yesterday said his party will coordinate with its seven allies to set a date and time for the meeting ahead of a vote in parliament scheduled for Friday.
Mr Phumtham said other parties outside the coalition, including Bhumjaithai, Chartthaipattana, the pro-military Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation, and senators Pheu Thai spoke to this week strongly opposed any move to amend Section 112. They would not support Pheu Thai if the Move Forward Party could potentially be in a ruling government coalition, he said.
“We will ask the [coalition] meeting what to do next,” Mr Phumtham said. “How will other coalition parties, particularly the MFP, help find a way [to form a government]? We want the MFP to make a decision on this issue.”
Pheu Thai is likely to nominate its own candidate after MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat lost in his second attempt to become PM on July 19. The second attempt for a vote failed because a majority of MPs and senators said the renomination of Mr Pita was the same motion which failed in the first vote, which was not allowed by Article 41 of the House regulations.
Parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has announced a second vote for the next PM will take place this Friday. However, it may be held back, depending on whether the Constitutional Court accepts a petition challenging the renomination rejection of Mr Pita on Thursday.
If the court does not accept the petition, parliament will hold a vote for the prime minister the following day. If it does accept, a parliamentary vote will not take place until the court issues its ruling, possibly a week later.
Thida Thavornseth, a political activist and former chair of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), whose supporters are known as the “red shirts,” posted on Facebook to warn Pheu Thai against setting up a new government with the PPRP and UTN.
She said the red-shirt group was established after the coup in 2006 to fight against dictatorships. Red shirts stand firmly on the side of democracy, and while Pheu Thai is a democratic party, the activists also support the MFP’s democratic policies, she said.
If Pheu Thai chooses to switch sides and have the PPRP and UTN as coalition partners, the UDD will say goodbye to Pheu Thai and turn its disappointment into action, she warned.
Prayut worried about MFP rallies against the Senate
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned about rallies organised by Move Forward Party (MFP) supporters protesting against the Senate, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says.
Gen Prayut expressed concern about the rallies out of fear they could drag the country back into conflict between different political groups, Mr Thanakorn said yesterday.
Mr Thanakorn, deputy leader of the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, said he would like the MFP to remind its supporters to abide by the law.
Supporters of the election-winning MFP are unhappy with most junta-appointed senators who did not vote for the party’s prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat.
Mr Thanakorn reiterated the UTN would not vote for any prime ministerial candidate from any party as long as the MFP is a coalition partner, mainly because of the MFP’s stance on amending Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law.
When asked whether Pheu Thai had approached the UTN to form a government, Mr Thanakorn said he was unaware as the party leader and secretary-general handle such matters.
The UTN deputy leader expressed confidence his party and Pheu Thai could work together because now is the time for all sides to join hands to help the country move forward.
“I don’t see any problem for the two parties to work together as long as we adhere mainly to the country’s interests,” he said.
Mr Thanakorn said a new prime minister would be selected soon after further negotiations.
Aerothai outlines air traffic control plan
PUBLISHED : 29 Jul 2023 at 04:00
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd (Aerothai), the provider of air traffic control services, is gearing up for the implementation of a metroplex air traffic control plan to accommodate growing air traffic and improve efficiency and safety.
Aerothai president Nopasit Chakpitak said the plan has been drawn up in line with the Transport Ministry’s policy and forecasts regarding growth in the aviation industry.
The first phase involves restructuring the routes and airspace management of three major airports: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-tapao, he said.
The metroplex air traffic plan, Mr Nopasit said, will not only improve efficiency and safety in air navigation but it will also reduce fuel consumption.
He said the restructuring of routes and airspace management at the three airports will yield benefits to the country’s aviation industry, which is one of key drivers of the economy.
Mr Nopasit said the agency is also upgrading air navigation services and putting its focus on human resources development to make sure it is ready for the implementation of the air traffic plan.
Aerothai also plans to restructure routes and develop airspace management to enhance air traffic management at three international airports in the southern region, namely, Phuket airport, Krabi airport and a new one to be opened in the lower part of the region.
Chiang Mai airport and Lampang airport in the North are among the areas where Aerothai also plans to implement the metroplex air traffic plan, he said.