Freedom

The usual reaction to Kevin Lau’s case is it represents the bell that tolls for the freedom of press.

But, let’s start with the basic question: What is freedom of press? It means the freedom of communication and expression through published and electronic media, usually implying the absence of interference from an overreaching state. (A closely related concept is, as you know, the freedom of speech, by which we could express our view by verbal means.)

In other words, freedom of press could generally be impinged by the government or other high authority, when they try to influence the content or opinion of mass media. If a journalist reports the illegal doings of the triad society and is then being attacked, we don’t see it as a thread to the freedom of speech, but ordinary people like me would still have a strong feeling (our Scholar #19 is wrong here) because it is a brutal way to silence some undesirable voice.

Of course, it is not unheard of that the government of some countries are nothing more than triad societies recognized by the United Nation.

That’s most frightening, I know.