Around 400 people gathered in Hong Kong on Monday to protest a veteran newspaper editor’s dismissal that triggered concerns about press freedom in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
The dismissal last month of the Ming Pao newspaper’s No. 2 editor, Keung Kwok-yuen, came after the newspaper published a report on the “Panama Papers” document leak revealing offshore business dealings of the rich and powerful. The newspaper said Keung was dismissed to save operating costs.
The South China Morning Post said journalists, activists and politicians attended the rally outside the Ming Pao Industrial Center. Protesters carried signs saying “protect journalists, protect Ming Pao, protect press freedom.”
The chairwoman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Shan Yee-lan, read a joint letter from eight journalist groups calling for Keung to be reinstated, the newspaper said. “The recent sudden dismissal of (Keung) is a matter of great concern to the news industry and to society as a whole,” she was quoted as saying.