As Kevin Lau lies in critical conditions, motives for the attack against him still "unknown"
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Ming Pao's former editor Kevin Lau Chun-to was stabbed by motorcycle hit men yesterday morning. He was hospitalised in critical conditions with a 16 cm-long knife wound to his back, local officials said. Since then, he took a turn for the worse.
Police are searching for two men in connection with the attack, whilst Lau's paper offered a HK$ 1 million (US$ 130,000) reward for information leading to their arrest.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying visited Lau in hospital. Afterwards, at a news conference, Mr Leung condemned "this savage act."
The Hong Kong Journalists Association called the attack a "serious provocation to Hong Kong press freedom," as did the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC).
"The growing number of attacks against members of the press in Hong Kong needs to be taken seriously by the local administration. Hong Kong's reputation as a free and international city will suffer if such crimes go unsolved and unpunished," a FCC spokesperson said.
Lau became Ming Pao's editor in 2012. Last month, he was replaced by a Malaysian journalist with no local experience, and transferred to the parent company's electronic publishing unit.
The move raised concerns about freedom of expression in Hong Kong. Some journalists in fact fear that the paper's owners would curb reporting on human rights abuses and corruption in China.
Before he was fired, Lau took part in an investigation that exposed large-scale capital movements by wealthy Chinese to the Virgin Islands, including several Communist Party leaders, which angered the authorities.
In addition, Ming Pao sources said the paper was preparing a long report on China's human rights situation and Lau's dismissal was motivated by a desire to prevent its publication.
The attack against him is not an isolated incident. In fact, it is but the latest in a long line of attacks on journalists.
In 2013, two baton-wielding men attacked Chen Ping, the publisher of iSun Affairs.
Someone also crashed a car into the gates of the home of Apple Daily's owner Jimmy Lai and burnt thousands of copies of his newspaper.
In reaction to the attack, thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday, calling for freedom of speech and freedom for Hong Kong, complaining about the current situation.
Speaking to the crowd, Yuen Chan, a lecturer in journalism at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, noted that although the names of those behind such attacks are not known, their motive is political. The net effect is to instil fear in the local press.
In the last World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Hong Kong dropped to 61st place because of concerns over China's influence.
In RSF's first index in 2002, the former British crown colony ranked 18th.
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