The Security Bureau has condemned Ming Pao for publishing a “misleading” opinion piece written by Lo Kin-hei, the chairperson of the Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party. Lo has said he was just writing a “kind reminder” for the government.
In a Thursday statement, the Security Bureau said Lo’s op-ed about security chief Chris Tang had been “taken out of context,” adding that it was “confusing” and “misleading readers that a certain group of people was being discriminated against.”
In Lo’s opinion piece published on Thursday, he said that Tang’s recent comments in the Legislative Council may exacerbate stereotypes and stigma of mental illness.
According to Lo, Tang said: “Anyone who sees someone with weird facial expressions, muttering and looking ferocious, should notify the police as soon as possible.”
Lo said he had been “extremely shocked” by Tang’s claim, adding it could easily deepen negative labelling, stigma and stereotyping of psychiatric patients. “It might even lead the way in discrimination and it was very inappropriate to have come from a government official,” Lo wrote.
In the statement, a Security Bureau spokesperson said that Tang had been replying to a question raised in the legislature, and was reminding members of the public to notify the police as soon as possible if they suspected a crime may be committed.
“However, the writer has taken a well-intentioned reminder out of context, distorting it as prejudice and discrimination against the mentally ill. We are ‘extremely shocked’ by the twisted representation of a positive crime prevention message by the writer,” the statement continued.
The spokesperson said Lo had “disregarded public safety and smeared the well-intentioned reminder on ‘Spot and Report’.” The bureau expressed condemnation and appealed to society to attach great importance to mental health.
‘Kind reminder’
Lo said in a press release on Thursday that his opinion piece was meant as a “kind reminder” to the government that the stereotypical descriptions of patients suffering from mental health disorders would deepen public misunderstanding and stigma of such patients.
“I feel helpless that this could lead to [an accusation of] ‘disregarding public safety’ and ‘condemnation.’
It was not the first time the government condemned on Ming Pao, with the newspaper’s comic strips being criticised by government officials, also for being “misleading.” In May, Ming Pao suspended one satirical comic strip after 40 years following government complaints.
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