The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the March 19 attack on two senior media executives in Hong Kong by four masked men armed with metal bars. The executives work for Hong Kong Media News, which is preparing to launch a Chinese-language newspaper, and have been identified in reports as Lei Iun-han, director and vice-president, and Lam Kin-ming, news controller. The two sought treatment for injuries to their face, arms, and legs, the reports said.
"This latest assault further confirms the worsening climate for press freedom in Hong Kong," said Joel Simon, CPJ's executive director. "Authorities must launch a swift and thorough inquiry into this attack and bring those responsible to justice."
The attack follows last month's brutal attack on former Ming Pao editor Kevin Lau Chun-to, which triggered large-scale protests over the climate of press freedom in Hong Kong. Two people were charged on March 19 in connection with that attack, according to news reports.
