FCC Statement Condemning Attack on Printing Office of Epoch Times

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong condemns the attack on Nov. 19 of the printing office of the Hong Kong edition of the Epoch Times, and reiterates its call for the press to be able to operate freely in Hong Kong without the threat of violence or intimidation.

In the early hours of Nov. 19, four masked individuals – including two carrying batons – entered the printing office of the Hong Kong edition of the Epoch Times, a spokeswoman for the newspaper told the FCC. As one of the individuals pointed his baton at a printing office employee, another splashed flammable liquid on printing equipment, and the equipment was then set on fire. The fire and the water from the office’s sprinkler system resulted in damage, the spokeswoman said. The account of the attack was confirmed by CCTV footage shared by the Epoch Times.

Attacks on the press or their facilities are unacceptable. The FCC expresses its growing concern and condemnation of increasing violence and intimidation of the media in Hong Kong. The FCC reiterates its call for an independent inquiry into police violence against journalists and interference with the media’s right to cover the unrest under Hong Kong law. We urge that such an investigation be thorough and transparent.

Nov. 22, 2019