Hong Kong’s largest journalists’ group has mourned the death of former journalist Ryan Lau after multiple local news outlets reported his alleged suicide on Friday.
In a Chinese statement issued on Friday evening, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said it was “deeply saddened by the death of former journalist [Ryan Lau]” and expressed deep condolences to his family.
Lau was reportedly 42 years old when he died.
The association said it was aware that people in the industry who knew Lau were shocked and saddened by the incident, and asked them to contact the association to seek counselling services if necessary.
In 2021, the ex-reporter published the book Dark Night in Yuen Long, a first-hand account of the mob attacks on July 21, 2019, when over 100 rod-wielding men stormed Yuen Long MTR station leaving 45 people injured – including journalists, protesters, commuters and Lau himself. The attack took place during the protests and unrest in 2019.
Police were criticised for responding slowly to the incident, with some officers seen leaving the scene or interacting with the white-clad men. The official account of the incident evolved over a year, with the authorities eventually calling it was a “gang fight.”
Lau was a news anchor and reporter at TVB News for eight years before quitting in 2010. After leaving the industry, Lau still cared about “issues of concern” to journalists and participated in several HKJA activities as a volunteer, the statement read.
Lau took up public relations jobs at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Kowloon Motor Bus after his tenure as a journalist.
‘Friend of the press’
“The HKJA is grateful for the contributions from this ‘friend of the press.’ May he rest in peace,” the association said.
Local media reported on Friday evening that a man was found unconscious at a village house in Tai Po at around 3pm that day. The man was understood to be Lau.
The press group’s statement was issued amid reports that Lau died after burning charcoal at his Tai Po residence, several of which also included accounts of his personal love life.
“The association also hopes that journalists will take into account the media’s influence on the public and handle news of suicide with discretion,” read the statement, which included a link to the association’s guidelines on suicide coverage.
An avid runner, Lau regularly shared content about long-distance running on his Instagram page, as well as short clips about public speaking.
Lau is survived by a son and a daughter. Lau and his ex-wife – the mother of the two children – separated in 2020, according to local media.
| 💡If you are in need of support, please call: The Samaritans 2896 0000 (24-hour, multilingual), Suicide Prevention Centre 2382 0000 or the government mental health hotline on 18111. The Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology provides a WhatsApp hotline in English and Chinese: 6218 1084. See also: HKFP’s comprehensive guide to mental health services in Hong Kong. |
Corrections:
8/1/20214 at 10.52 am: An earlier version misspelled Ryan Lau's surname. We regret the error.
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