Journalist Leung Tin-wai violently attacked

On 15 May 1996, veteran Hong Kong journalist Leung Tin-wai was violently attacked by assailants who cut off his left forearm. According to news reports, two unidentified men entered Leung’s office shortly after a press conference announcing the 17 May launch of the tabloid “Surprise Weekly”. The men asked to see Leung, who led them […]

On 15 May 1996, veteran Hong Kong journalist Leung Tin-wai was
violently attacked by assailants who cut off his left forearm.
According to news reports, two unidentified men entered Leung’s
office shortly after a press conference announcing the 17 May
launch of the tabloid “Surprise Weekly”. The men asked to see
Leung, who led them into a conference room and shut the door
behind him. Shortly afterwards, staff members heard Leung cry
for help. A journalist opened the door and received a knife wound
as the two men ran out and exited the building. Leung was found
conscious, his left forearm severed. He was immediately taken to
a local hospital where doctors attempted to re-attach his arm the
next morning. Two 45 centimetre-long knives, apparently used in
the attack, were later found on the building’s first floor.

A founding editor of Hong Kong’s “Next” magazine and deputy
publisher of the now-defunct daily “Express News”, Leung had
recently assumed publishing duties at “Surprise Weekly”. Facing a
crowded market, he sought to distinguish the tabloid with lighter
news content and a far lower price than its rivals, “Next” and
“Eastweek”. Hong Kong reporters speculated that apart from
personal or political motives, the attack on Leung may have
emanated from competitors or distributors. Newspaper distribution
in Hong Kong is closely connected with organised crime groups,
according to local journalists.

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