Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Michael Suen, yesterday pledged to safeguard the press and expressions of freedom in the SAR.

Suen's remarks came after Hong Kong political celebrity Allen Lee Peng-fei announced he would stop hosting the morning radio programme Teacup in a Storm and resign from the role of Hong Kong deputy to the country's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC).

Suen said Lee decided not to host the radio talkshow for his own reasons and it would be inappropriate to "characterize" the incident.

Lee was the latest to announce the controversial move. Earlier this month, Albert Cheng and Raymond Wong also announced they were leaving their respective radio programmes, Teacup in a Storm and Close Encounters of the Political Kind.

Their announcements, that followed one another closely, have drawn intense speculation of political meddling by the central government. Critics, including activist group Human Rights Monitor, are concerned that local freedoms could be shrinking.

The government yesterday acted quickly to try and prevent such speculation from taking root.

Five hours after Lee's decision was reported by the electronic media, Suen said in public: "Radio talkshow compere Mr Allen Lee decided not to host Commercial Radio's talkshow out of his own considerations."

"I'm afraid that it's not a matter for me to characterize the circumstances leading to the resignation of the talkshow hosts," he said.

Suen said the local way of life had not changed.

"Our newspapers are free to articulate their views in their own editorials every day. Members of the community can freely express their views on radio talkshows every day. Legislators and indeed any member of the community can freely express their views and be heard all over Hong Kong," he said.

He said freedom of the press and freedom of expression were two important cornerstones of Hong Kong's success and "these freedoms are guaranteed by the Basic Law".

Explaining his decision to resign from the radio programme and NPC role, Lee said he did not want to place himself in a situation like Cheng and Wong in which they and their wives were lobbied to stop hosting the programmes by good friends of their own.

"I don't want my good friends to come to tell me not to do the programme because of this or that," Lee said.

Lee said that prior to taking up the radio programme from Cheng, he had notified the central government of his decision to become the host. "Since then, many people have contacted me and I've turned them all down," he said.

Lee said he resigned from the NPC because he felt being unable to do anything more at the moment.

"I have received many complaints and have tried to help in those cases. The successful rate was only 7.7 per cent. I'd be unable to make further contributions," he said. Lee said he had also never seen Hong Kong as divided as now.

NPC deputy Ma Lik said it was regrettable for Lee to give up the NPC role. "One of his reasons is he's found it unable to function as he has wished. It's regrettable he has such a perception," Ma said.

"In fact, there has been progress in the handling of complaints. In justified cases, we should continue to fight for them even though the way of business may be unsatisfactory."

Another NPC deputy Leung Chun-ying said that although the temperature of political dispute had risen, it was wrong to say a blanket of "white terror" was sweeping down the SAR. Leung is also an executive councillor.

"Obviously, we are short of harmony in regard to political views, as compared with what we were five or 10 years ago. It requires efforts from all to restore it together," he said. "The fact that incidents involving the talkshow hosts are actively discussed is itself an evidence of the freedoms still existing in the SAR."

NPC Standing Committee member Tsang Hin-chi said it was unfair to speculate against the patriots. "This has nothing to do with freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Stop abusing the freedoms to attack people who support their country and even the central government," Tsang said.

NPC deputy and Executive Councillor Cheng Yiu-tong called on the talkshow hosts to explain their moves in public.

(HK Edition 05/20/2004 page2)