【新唐人2014年01月16日讯】香港老牌报纸《明报》更换总编辑的风波，影响越演越烈，继七百名学者联署登报后，有香港“民主之父”之称的民主党创党主席李柱铭，在14号的《明报》专栏上，以“开天窗”的方式，抗议《明报》更换总编辑的理由过于荒谬，他呼吁港人关注中共压制香港新闻自由日趋严重。
香港《明报》现任总编刘进图，上周证实他将被取代。
本身是资深大律师的李柱铭，每逢周二在《明报》副刊刊出《法政随笔》专栏。本周二14号，《法政随笔》只出现“黑手盖日月、本报顿失明”十个字的标题，内容空白。他坦言，他以开天窗的方式，抗议《明报》更换总编辑的举措。
香港资深大律师李柱铭：“因为我觉得现在香港新闻自由越来越被威胁，很明显共产党要用很大的力量压抑香港的新闻自由，所以我用这个方法引起香港人的关注。”
李柱铭强调，难以接受《明报》对外宣称的换总编辑的理由。《明报》指称，原本计划空降马来西亚籍的钟天祥入董事局，但因为钟天祥不熟悉香港，所以先任职总编辑，熟悉一下香港环境。
李柱铭：“坐在写字楼学习一下这没问题，但没有理由任总编辑，这样说出来令人难以置信。很明显是不想《明报》在采访新闻方面有自由的报导，不然没有理由这样做，给一个没有人相信的理由。”
李柱铭说，《明报》老板作出这样的决策，外界估计，可能是﹕在大陆做生意受到压力。
李柱铭：“不仅是一张报纸，而是一连串的行动，令到市民觉得很明显共产党就是要控制香港，新闻自由一定要压抑，所以我觉得这是香港人的事，我们大家不可以袖手旁观。”
14号当天，在《明报》副刊同一版上，《女人心》专栏的作者陈惜姿、和《左右饭局》专栏的作者李慧玲，也分别在作品中质疑《明报》空降钟天祥的决定。
“香港记者协会”担心《明报》突然撤换总编辑，是香港新闻自由沦陷前的最后一根稻草，而发起了“一人一信”行动。香港“记协”呼吁《明报》的读者和市民，即日起致函《明报》拥有人张晓卿，表达对此事的关注和忧虑，并促请《明报》管理层暂缓有关人事安排，确保独立编采方针不变。
另外，日前来自11间香港本地及海外大学的90位学者，就《明报》更换总编辑一事，也发起联署声明，质疑《明报》能否坚守过往的编采方针及作风。
香港浸会大学传理学助理教授杜耀明：“现在新闻自由不是一个学术问题，是一个维权问题，是一个涉及到人权受到侵扰的问题。而这涉及到整个香港所有的人，大家要去思考，用什么方法，用什么行动去维护这种权利。”
有学者说，目前香港很多新闻机构受到各种各样的政治控制，令它们不敢去揭露真相。
香港中文大学政治与行政学系副教授马岳：“第一个层面是每个人的知情权也受到侵害，第二，社会有很多问题其实得不到揭露，亦得不到一个提早改善的机会。而这本身是违反大多数人的利益。可能当权者会开心，但正如我刚才说，到有一日大家才发觉那事情很糟糕时才爆发的话，可能爆发出来的力度更加大。”
据了解，刘进图，香港大学法律系毕业。在80年代期间，担任李柱铭的助理，当时李柱铭正出任《基本法》起草委员会委员。1989年发生“六四事件”后，李柱铭退出“草委会”，刘进图也在同年加入新闻界。
新唐人记者林秀宜香港报导
Lee Chu-Ming Pointed out Black Hands Covering “Ming Pao"
Using Blank Space in Special Column
The influence of Hong Kong’s old newspaper, Ming Pao’s
editor in chief’s replacement is more critical.
After seven hundred scholars jointly posted with concern in the
newspaper; the Hong Kong “father of democracy", Democratic
Party Chairman Lee Chu-ming left a blank space in a special
column to protest the ridiculous reason of replacing the editor
in chief and called attention to the CCP’s increasing
suppression of Hong Kong’s freedom of press.
Last week, Hong Kong “Ming Pao" current chief editor Liu
Jintu confirmed that he will be replaced.
Senior Counsel Lee Chu-ming published special column of
“law and politics notes" every Tuesday in
the Ming Pao supplement.
Tuesday, January 14, the special column only contains the
title, “the newspaper goes blind with black hands covering the
sun and moon" with no content.
He admitted that he was trying to protest Ming Pao’s chief
editor replacement by opening a window.
Senior Hong Kong Counsel Lee Chu-ming: Obviously, the
CCP use great power to repress Hong Kong’s freedom of press
since Hong Kong’s freedom of press
has been increasingly threatened.
So I use this way to attract people’s attention in Hong Kong.
Lee Chu-ming stressed that it’s hard to accept the official
reason for replacing the editor in chief in Ming Pao.
Ming Pao alleged that the original plan was to make Malaysian
Zhong Tianxiang a member of the board of directors.
Since Zhong Tianxiang is not familiar with Hong Kong, he may
first serve as chief editor to get familiar with
the Hong Kong environment.
Lee Chu-ming: There is no problem to sit in
the office learning.
But it’s incredible to appoint him as editor in chief.
Obviously they don’t want Ming Pao to report the news
freely and gave such an unbelievable reason.
Lee Chu-ming said, to make such a decision, the Ming Pao
boss probably conducted business under pressure in mainland.
Lee Chu-ming: Not only a newspaper, but a series of actions
made people believe that the CCP wants to control Hong Kong
and oppress Hong Kong’s freedom of press.
So I believe it’s something that the Hong Kong people and I
cannot stand by idly.
On Jan. 14, in the same edition of the Ming Pao supplement,
the other two column authors Chen Xizi and Li Huiling also
questioned Ming Pao’s decision on airborne Zhong Tianxiang.
The Hong Kong Reporter Association launched a one person,
one letter campaign concerning Ming Pao’s chief editor’s
sudden replacement acting as the final straw before
the freedom of press falls.
The Hong Kong Reporter Association calls for Ming Pao"
readers and the public to express concern and anxiety to
Ming Pao’s owner Tiong Hiew King and urge Ming Pao to
postpone the personnel arrangements to ensure its
editorial independence policy is maintained.
In addition, recently 90 scholars from 11 local and overseas
universities also launched a joint statement to question if
Ming Pao can adhere to past editorial policy and style
regarding the replacement of editor in chief.
Hong Kong Baptist University, Assistant Professor of
Communication Studies Yiu-ming Du: Now the freedom of press
is not an academic issue but a rights issue which is related
to the intrusion of human rights .
Such human rights are related to everybody in Hong Kong
which deserves us to think about how to uphold those rights.
Some scholars say that there are all kinds of news
organizations under a variety of political control making them
dare not expose the truth.
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ma Ngok, Associate
Professor of Politics and Administration: The first level is
to deprive the right to know for everyone; secondly, there are
a lot of unrevealed social problems that can’t
be handled early.
It is contrary to the majority interests.
The authorities might be happy.
But as I said earlier, once it breaks out, it might burst out
with greater intensity.
It is said that Liu Jintu graduated from
Hong Kong University law school.
In the 80s, he was Lee Chu-ming’s assistant and served as a
member of the Drafting Committee for " basic law".
In 1989 after the “4th June Incident", Lee Chu-ming exited the
“Drafting Committee" and Liu Jintu joined the
media in the same year.
Interview/LinXiuyi
