The Epoch Times, a publication that has been consistently critical of the Chinese Communist Party, had their printing press in Hong Kong attacked on Monday. The outlet reports that "four intruders barged into the printing plant of the Hong Kong edition," and set about smashing computer and printing equipment with a hammer.
A spokeswoman for the Hong Kong edition of the global newspaper said that she believes that the Chinese Communist Party was behind the attack, and that they "had the aim of silencing an independent outlet from reporting on topics that are taboo" to their policies.
The Hong Kong bureau of The Epoch Times released a statement that condemned the communist regime for creating "white terror" in the city, and asking the international community to pay attention to these incessant violations of free speech by the CCP.
The Epoch Times believes this to be the "latest effort by the Chinese Communist Party" to silence the critical paper, that has refused to back down even in the face of rising tensions within Hong Kong, or globally. In 2019, the same facility was attacked and set fire to. Those who perpetrated that crime remain at large.
The Epoch Times in the US released a statement, and intends to hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss the attack on their printing facility. The press conference will be at the National Press Club at 1:30 pm, and "will provide details regarding the attack and discuss the situation the paper faces in Hong Kong."
"On April 12, for the fifth time since 2006, the Hong Kong Epoch Times' printing plant was attacked. This attack forced the temporary closure of the paper and occurred just days ahead of court appearances by key Hong Kong pro-democracy activists," The Epoch Times said in a statement.
It was just after 4:30 am on Sunday that an employee of the paper spotted "a man in his 30s chatting on his cellphone standing" near the press. He followed her into the shop, though she tried to close the door behind her own entry.
The man was shortly accompanied by other men, who forced their way into the plant. The man "carried sledge hammers, and one of them carried a plastic bag with a knife in it." And they shouted at another employee, "Go away, Go away. It is none of your business. Go away. Don't force me to do anything."
The men then began "smashing the printing press equipment with their sledge hammers. Among the items damaged were the printing press’s central control panel and several computers. One of the men also tossed construction debris from his bag onto the equipment." The police arrived shortly after they were called, but the men had already left.
The break in can be seen on video.
"These attacks are part of the constant pressure put on press freedom in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), pressure that has intensified since the Chinese regime has passed legislation restricting civil liberties in Hong Kong."
The Epoch Times has long suffered from a campaign to discredit them due primarily to their unceasing critique of the CCP. It began in 2000 in the US, 2001 in Hong Kong, as a means to expose the human rights violations against a religious group, but is now "one of the few independent media outlets in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong people have come to look upon it as a staunch friend."
"The Epoch Times was on the streets covering the recent democracy protests when most media outlets kept their distance," the write, and make a note that "Hong Kong senior journalist Wong Ngon-yin told The Epoch Times on April 12: 'The Epoch Times is the hope of Hong Kong. If you are still here, Hong Kong still has hope.'"
Hong Kong has been under threat by mainland CCP incursion since a national security law was broached in 2019 that would have forced the extradition of Hong Kongers to the mainland to undergo trials. Hong Kongers took to the streets to protest this assault on their judicial system, and the pro-democracy movement continued under perpetual threat.
The history of the past two years of pro-democracy advocacy in Hong Kong has been well-detailed in The Epoch Times, one of the few outlets that has consistently and steadfastly continued their reporting on the topic. Other outlets, including The New York Times, have advocated for the US to abandon hopes of a democratic Hong Kong and to instead favor the communist way of doing things on the island metropolis.
"Recently," The Epoch Times said in a statement, "mainland Chinese police threatened Hong Kong Epoch Times talk show host Rachel Wong. The police sent her a message: Stop broadcasting programs, or face arrest under the new national security law." The Epoch Times publishes in 22 languages and 36 countries.
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