By Asian Pacific News Service

After free speech advocate Albert Cheng left Vancouver for his homeland he opined in the media that people feel safer in Hong Kong after hearing of car hijackings, break-ins, home invasions and kidnapping incidents around the Lower Mainland.

In a published interview, Cheng, Hong Kong's most popular radio talk show host and pro-democracy champion said: "Nobody wants to go there, not even retirees. If it's not safe any more, who wants to go there Vancouver is no longer attractive for Hong Kong people except as a vacation destination.''

Ironically the same fears that perhaps helped him decide to move back home has now forced him to leave Hong Kong.

This time, Albert Ching King-hon, says he may never return to the broadcast pulpit that has made him a household name to millions.

Saying he cannot risk another brutal attack "even if Lady Luck is to remain on my side", the outspoken political commentator who has made a career of holding Beijing's feet to the fire has left Hong Kong for a "long vacation" to seek relief from what he called a depressing political situation.

"I cheated death once, but I certainly do not want my family and myself to go through the same suffering again." - Albert Cheng

The long-time government critic left his popular Teacup in a Storm programme on Hong Kong's Commercial Radio two weeks ago, calling the local political environment "suffocating".

In a letter to the South China Morning Post after his arrival in London, Cheng said, "I am not afraid of people in power, but I shudder at the threat of violence. It is only human and natural for me to be deeply disturbed by death threats."

If anybody needs to be afraid, Cheng does.

On August 19, 1998, one year after China took control of Hong Kong, Cheng was attacked by two men armed with choppers.

He barely survived the murder attempt outside his radio station suffering six deep wounds to his arms and legs which has left him limping and with limited use of his hands.

Doctors said if an ambulance did not arrive within ten minutes, Cheng would have died.

The case remains unresolved despite a massive reward.

Undaunted, Cheng returned to his talk show criticizing Beijing, local politicians and government measures which was diluting the democratic fabric of Hong Kong.

Against the backdrop of Beijing clamping down on calls for more democratic rights, Cheng used his prowess on the airwaves.

Last March 31, a man went to the radio host's trading company on the 20th Floor of Kodak House, North Point, at 4pm and asked for "Mr Cheng" who was not at the office.

The man returned with two accomplices minutes later and splashed red paint over the office.

Police classified the case as criminal damage and took away closed-circuit television footage for investigation.

The incident followed daily death threats and another attack on another radio talk show host.

Cheng said the threats were an attempt to silence his recent criticism against the government over political reform. He said the vandalism attack on his company offices was also linked to his comments.

Cheng said he strongly believed the incident was related to his public comments rather than a business matter, since the trading company had been operating well. Few people knew he was a shareholder.

"These people managed to go to the company to splash paint and ask for my name, I think they've done a lot of homework. They were prepared before they came," he said.

"I can tell you that I'm scared. My family is even more afraid. And there was another case before," Cheng said.

"I think this case targeted my comments. I've received [anonymous] letters and phone calls which asked me to not to criticize the government too harshly. They also hit out at my political stance. But I've thrown the letters away as I have never taken them seriously," he said.

Cheng, a critic of the Beijing government, said rich families with links to the triads and with an interest in a rapprochement with Beijing could be behind the threats he has been receiving.

"This attack was aimed at showing me they know where I am and that they can have me whenever they want," Cheng said adding "It's a message asking me to shut up."

He also said he was sad to have seen "many friends from different sectors" changing their political stance. "I don't hold any grudges against these people. Yet, it is amusing to watch from a distance how some of them shed their crocodile tears and prattled about the importance of freedom of speech.

Cheng also reiterated his frustration over the political atmosphere in Hong Kong.

"The invisible political pressure on me was suffocating. Distraught and distressed, I thought I could give myself some breathing space by being away."

Cheng said some local communists were urging government officials to boycott his talk show.

"They argued that the officials' appearance would enhance my programme and thus boost my ratings.

"Others had accused me in the legislature of abusing the airwaves to rally [support] for the democrats. Albert Cheng-bashing has become a pastime for them."

Referring to the vicious chopper attack on him in 1998 and "daily" death threats in recent months, he said: "I almost lost my life in a brutal assault and have never fully recovered from the trauma.

"I cheated death once, but I certainly do not want my family and myself to go through the same suffering again.

Cheng was born in Hong Kong in 1946. In 1967, when the former British colony was rocked by riots fuelled by Mao's revolutionaries, Cheng left for Canada. He was then then 21.

Landing with some C$200 in his pocket, Cheng found a job with CP Air and got involved with the local Chinese community and provincial politics for the New Democratic Party.

He left CP Air in 1980 and went into business for himself, selling Vancouver real estate to Hong Kong buyers.In 1979, he was one of the founders of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

Cheng left Vancouver for Hong Kong in 1983 after he was offered a job by Tiger Balm heiress Sally Aw, who was a key player in launching the University of B.C.'s journalism school.

It was to her that he took his idea for a Chinese version of Playboy.

When Aw backed out at the last minute, Cheng and three other partners stumped up C$150,000 of their own money and another $150,000 in bank loans to secure the worldwide rights to publish Playboy in Chinese. It was an immediate success.

After just two years, the magazine was sold for a reported C$2.5 million. In 1986 after his radio show became very popular, he opened up tCyber Communications Corp. Ltd. in Hong Kong.

His radio show was also aired in Vancouver on AM 1320 CHMB Radio

A month before his Aug. 9, 1998, attack, Cheng had taken his wife, Irene " a former Miss Hong Kong " and their three young sons for a vacation in Vancouver, which included an Alaskan cruise.

He also visited the B.C. parliament as the guest of then-premier Glen Clark, who introduced Cheng in the house and later sought his advice on how to woo Asian investors back to B.C.

Recently, Reporters Without Borders voiced concern about death threats against Cheng called on the special region's chief executive, Tung Chee Hwa, to order a thorough investigation.

"If threats against journalists who criticise politicians or government measures succeed in silencing the critics, then editorial independence and free expression are in danger in Hong Kong," the organisation said.

Cheng's departure from Hong Kong followed calls by some of China's biggest tycoons, including Li Ka Shing, for a slower approach to democratic reforms in Hong Kong.

The tycoons were worried that demonstrations after Beijing ruled out direct elections in Hong Kong , would cause economic instability and scare away investors.

Last week, the Hong Kong government unveiled a revamped proposal to give Hong Kong what it called a more representative participation. But critics were skeptical of the government report and charged that officials were simply ignoring popular hopes for direct elections.

The report said the 800-member pro-Beijing committee that chose Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa can be enlarged to increase the range of professional and community representatives in the next election, but gave no specifics.

Hong Kong residents are demanding the right to directly elect their next leader in 2007 and all lawmakers in 2008, but China's most powerful legislative panel has ruled that out.

Ordinary citizens have no say in choosing the chief executive and elected only 24 of 60 sitting lawmakers.

The rest will be chosen by special interest groups, or so-called functional constituencies.