Ming Pao attack a story of grave concern
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press lie at the heart of Hong Kong's success. Speaking one's mind without having to worry about incurring the wrath of the authorities, let alone threats to life and limb, is what makes this city a vibrant society.
What happened yesterday at the offices of Ming Pao, one of Hong Kong's leading Chinese-language newspapers, is therefore a cause for grave concern. A gift box with a bouquet was delivered to the editor's office. When his secretary opened it, there was an explosion, causing her minor injuries. A letter inside made reference to acts that the paper had allegedly done in mid-October, and demanded it make amends by making a $30 million contribution to the Community Chest in three days.
The full facts of the case are not yet known. It is unclear what motive lies behind it. The cryptic contents of the sinister letter which accompanied the device provide few clues. But whatever the reason, there is no justification for using such violent means.
The demand for Ming Pao to contribute to a charity is interesting. The culprit might have hoped this would show he was not acting purely for personal benefit. But this does not even begin to detract from the serious nature of the offence. Although the explosion was small and had no lethal power, it inflicted unpleasant injuries. That it took place at all is unacceptable.
In exercising their free-speech rights, individual media organisations or journalists may, knowingly or unknowingly, cause offence to certain parties. But in a city that abides by the rule of law, those who feel they have been wronged can take their grievances to court. Where no law is breached, the Press Council, of which Ming Pao is a member, and other media bodies stand ready to impose ethical sanctions on the offending organs if complaints against them are upheld after investigations. There is no reason or need for anyone to take the law into their own hands. Our sympathy goes to the injured Ming Pao staff member, who has become an innocent victim of this repugnant act.
Freedom is fragile. A society becomes much more vulnerable the moment people begin to feel something sinister might happen to them as a result of what they have said or done in exercising a basic human right.
We therefore welcome Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's swift response in condemning the violence. The pledge by Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong to get to the bottom of the case was also reassuring. They have sent the right message to the community at the earliest instance - that using violence to silence the media, or anyone else, will not be tolerated.
Unfortunately, Ming Pao is not the first media organisation or journalist to have suffered from violence. In 1993, the office of Next Magazine was vandalised by thugs. In 1996, Leung Tin-wai, then the publisher of Surprise Weekly, was attacked by two men who burst into his office, while Albert Cheng King-hon, then an outspoken broadcaster and now a legislator, suffered the same fate outside Commercial Radio in 1998.
The motives for these attacks remain a mystery, as those responsible have not been caught. But it is only logical to infer from the nature of the victims' work that the attacks might have been related to what they have said or written.
The police must now do everything in their power to apprehend not just the perpetrator of the attack on Ming Pao, but also those behind the earlier attacks. Only then would the public be really assured that they can speak without fear.
Hong Kong is a community that values free speech highly. The freedom enjoyed by our press in exercising its watchdog functions is a pillar of this city's strength as a civilised society. No one should tolerate any attempt to inhibit the free flow of information by using violence to try to influence the way our media organisations perform their important role.
