Journalists blast Global Times over Lee Bo claims
The Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Independent Commentators Association have issued a joint statement, criticising comments in the mainland’s Global Times that some have taken to be confirmation that missing bookseller Lee Bo has been abducted and taken across the border.
An editorial in the newspaper on Wednesday said mainland law enforcement officials had every right to investigate Lee and four other Hong Kong men who have gone missing as they were involved in publishing books that are critical of the Communist Party.
It also said that all powerful agencies around the world have their ways of circumventing laws to get people to cooperate.
A statement from the two associations said it was “ridiculous and shocking” for the newspaper to say that the sale of politically-sensitive books in Hong Kong warrants a mainland investigation.
They said that would be a breach of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and the Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong enjoys freedom of expression and freedom of publication.
Meanwhile, barrister and Civic Party legislator Dennis Kwok said the state-run Global Times appeared to have given a clear admission that Lee had been kidnapped by mainland law enforcement officials.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1234036-20160106.htm
