Knife wielding man injures three at Hong Kong media outlet

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned that a man carrying two knives was able to enter the headquarters of Hong Kong Cable Television and injure three people, according to police reports. At around 11 o’clock on September 22, a man aged about 20, armed with two knives, entered the building at Tsuen Wan in the New Territories and attacked three persons, including a security guard and a staff member of the news department. According to police, the alleged attacker wanted to meet a person from Cable TV to discuss his service contract with the company. When the security officer refused to let the suspect into the building, the suspect slashed at the guard. According to a report on Cable TV, the security guard’s head and hand were hurt, and the cameraman’s head was hit once by the suspect when he tried to intervene to stop the attack. The alleged attacker was also injured. Police arrested the suspect. Charges against him are pending. The IFJ Asia-Pacific Office said: “This is not the first case of violence in the Hong Kong media industry this year. Three people have been injured since February, including Kevin Lau Chun-To, the former Editor-on-Chief of Mingpao. “Although there is no hint that the violence in this case is related to any news report, as a responsible employer, Cable TV needs to ensure the safety of all employees. At the same time, the Government of Hong Kong should send out a very clear message to society that no violence will be tolerated, in particular any relating to the media industry. Media personnel should be able to work without fear in Hong Kong and other societies.” We welcome the statement by Cable TV promising to improve security to ensure the safety of their employees and urge them to report to its staff and the public on whether the incident was relevant only to the sales department. We also urge Leung Chun-Ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, to deliver a very clear message that no violence towards the media industry will be tolerated. 

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0946 

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