Chief Executive CY Leung demands retraction of 'defamatory' article

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has demanded the retraction of a newspaper article which he claims accuses him of having links with triads.

His lawyers sent a letter to the chief editor of the Hong Kong Economic Journal last Friday.

The letter claimed a commentary piece published on January 29 and written by Joseph Lian Yi-zheng, a former member of the Central Policy Unit think tank, was defamatory.

The newspaper printed an apology on Thursday, but chief editor Chan King-cheung later insisted this was addressed to readers, not Leung, and said there would be no retraction.

Leung said he accepted the newspaper's apology. But he made no move to withdraw his lawyers' letter, despite calls from journalists, human rights activists and pan-democratic lawmakers who feared his action could undermine free speech.

Leung said in a statement: "I have all along respected freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Nevertheless, the article contains serious allegations which accused me of having relations with triad society. The matter has to be taken seriously."