Former top judge Andrew Li calls for vigilance on free speech in wake of Kevin Lau attack
Former top judge cites need to cherish freedoms as two more arrested for assault on Kevin Lau
The city needs to be highly vigilant in protecting its core values of freedom of speech and the media, a former top judge said yesterday as two more Hongkongers were arrested over a brutal attack on former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau Chun-to.
Retired chief justice Andrew Li Kwok-nang was commenting on the February 26 incident, a day after Commissioner of Police Andy Tsang Wai-hung said there was no "direct evidence" linking it to Lau's journalistic work.
"[Lau's case] has caused Hongkongers to become extremely worried about freedom of speech. So I think each of us needs to be highly vigilant in protecting our freedoms," Li told reporters at the University of Hong Kong yesterday.
Earlier, in a speech, he said: "Our cherished freedoms include … freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Vigilance must be exercised at all times by all of us to ensure that any attempt to undermine our freedoms is overcome."