Assailant stabs Hong Kong newspaper editor whose recent dismissal sparked press freedom fears

HONG KONG – Hong Kong police say a former newspaper editor whose abrupt dismissal in January sparked protests over press freedom has been stabbed.

Police said a man wearing a motorcycle helmet “suddenly” attacked Kevin Lau on Wednesday morning with a knife and then fled on a motorcycle driven by another man.

Lau was conscious when he was taken to hospital. Police said they are investigating but did not say why he was attacked.

Lau was named editor of the respected Ming Pao newspaper in 2012 but was replaced last month by a Malaysian journalist. The move raised fears among journalists that the paper’s owners were moving to curb aggressive reporting on human rights and corruption in China.

Lau’s dismissal and other cases have raised press freedom concerns in the semiautonomous Chinese city.

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