Chip Tsao: A matter of logic

A matter of logic

Translated by Karen L., Written by 陶傑 (Chip Tsao)

Original: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/supplement/columnist/%E9%99%B6%E5%82%91/art/20140302/18642069

Kevin Lau Chun-to, former chief editor of Ming Pao, has suffered in a savage knife attack. The city burst with anger, no exception to the LegCo, "condemning the violence" through protests, rallies and forums, yet not a few of them avoid to mention that "the press freedom is under threat."

I was chatting with a MBA Central elite another day, while him sided with the stream condemning violence. But then he added, "I agree with CY Leung's daughter. This is merely a matter of violence, with no evidence indicating that it has anything to do with press freedom."

"As if what you say," I replied, "the attack on Mr. Lau has no difference with those attacks on any other tattooed man, valet boy or unemployed in Yau Tsim Mong district by nature. With years of attacks of this kind, how come there have never been protests and rallies supporting these injured or dead?"

The returned MBA didn't reply, and I proceeded, "The reason why Mr. Lau incident raised 'the city's outrage', is because, neither he is a nightclub valet, nor an ordinary Chinese or an ordinary Hong Kong citizen, but his identity of being a journalist. If an ordinary citizen got ambushed, it won’t develop to be 'the city's outrage', however now, a journalist is chopped. If this isn't threat of press freedom to you, what’s the sense of you joining the stream of 'outrage'?"

He insisted on his thought, "Anyways, such proofs didn't come up. The attack may be due to some personal reasons. Linking everything with press freedom doesn't work always."

"Choi Tsz-ming, an executive producer, was shot dead in 1992, and some artists were smacked and beat up due to some gangland-personal reasons. In your logic, this Mr. Lau would be the same with them. Then who visited Lau Chun-to in Eastern hospital, like the Chief Executive, top officials, President of LegCo and pro-Beijing Legco members, even they were not going to admit the connection between the attack and press freedom, they should have officially clarified their roles there are just being a considerate friend. Otherwise everybody would presume, including the central government of Beijing, that their moves assertively need no proof to point out the threat of press freedom."

Back in 1992, by Mr. Choi's death, out of evidence, no one ever mention a word of "political threat of free creation in movies", and it was then regarded as a gangland grudge. Now Lau’s incident has been supported by many, whatever political stands they belong to, while the "same case" in 1992, was not "rewarded" as Lau.

That is to say, in between different political stands, it is divided into two groups: "threat-of-press-freedom" group and "no-evidence-to-prove" group. One of them shouldn't join the stream of condemnation. This, is a matter of logic.

(Image source: Delight Media Hong Kong)