Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                Dissident Hong Kong Book Publisher Returns Home

   by VOA News

   A bookseller based in Hong Kong who went missing three months ago
   returned to his home Thursday and the Chinese government insists he was
   not kidnapped.

   Lee Bo is a British citizen and one of five book publishers who have
   gone missing under mysterious circumstances in the past few months. He
   and the other four men all worked for the same publishing company,
   Mighty Current, which specializes in producing tabloid-style tales
   about political intrigue and love affairs within the Communist
   leadership.

   The loosely sourced stories published by Mighty Current were banned in
   mainland China but were popular with mainland tourists in the
   semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

   Lee's disappearance in particular led to an outcry from Hong Kong
   citizens who accused the Chinese government of sending law enforcement
   agents to Hong Kong to abduct him, which is illegal under its
   constitution.

   The Chinese government, as well as Lee, denied the claims that he was
   abducted, instead insisting that Lee smuggled himself into mainland
   China. According to a government statement, Lee returned to Hong Kong
   Thursday and met with officers as part of an investigation into his
   disappearance.

   The statement claimed that Lee had traveled to the mainland to assist
   in the investigation into the disappearance of one of his fellow book
   publishers, Gui Minhai. According to the statement, Lee said he was
   safe and free while travelling in China.

   Renouncing book business

   Lee had appeared on Chinese television in late February to assure
   watchers he had gone to the mainland on his own accord.

   At the time, though, British authorities said they believed Lee was
   "involuntarily removed to the mainland."

   Upon returning to Hong Kong Thursday, Lee told Phoenix TV, a private
   broadcaster based in the city, he left for mainland China using "normal
   means" because he needed to help in the investigation. He said he may
   need to return several times to assist in the future.

   Lee also told reporters at the border that he will no longer publish or
   sell books that are "sheer fabrication."

   He added, "Press and speech freedoms do not mean you can make things
   up. There are still people in Hong Kong who are doing that, and I hope
   they will no longer do that."

   Critics in China say they aren't buying his story.

   Albert Ho, a pro-democracy politician in Hong Kong told France's news
   agency that no one really believes Lee's story, and that people
   generally think he was forced to go back to China.

   "The Lee Bo incident has really crushed the confidence of Hong Kong
   people in respect of `One Country, Two Systems,'" he said, regarding
   the agreement between the two technically-separate nations.

   Lee's four colleagues are all facing criminal investigations on the
   mainland.

   Earlier this year, Gui said on Chinese state television that he
   returned to the mainland to voluntarily surrender himself after fleeing
   a suspended sentence 12 years ago for a fatal drunken driving case.
   About a month later, he was on state media again, this time to say he
   illegally shipped books into China from Hong Kong.

   Lee's three other colleagues, Cheung Chi-ping, Lui Por and Lam
   Wing-kee, blamed the book trade on Gui, but are still facing charges.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/dissident-hong-kong-book-publisher-re
   turns-home/3253265.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/dissident-hong-kong-book-publisher-returns-home/3253265.html