Epoch Times Office Attacked by Thugs

Four men smashed their way into the offices of the Hong Kong Epoch Times Tuesday and took hammers to an expensive new piece of printing equipment. The men shattered the outer glass doors of the office and then apparently targeted this one machine, which plays a key role in producing the newspaper.

Spokesperson Cheryl Ng, present during the break-in, later linked this incident with the worldwide pattern by the Chinese communist regime to silence The Epoch Times , including a recent beating and robbery of Atlanta Epoch Times employee Yuan P. Li.

Ng said that, on Tuesday after the thugs stepped through the shattered door at 7:10 p.m., they stalked through the office as though looking for something specific.

The men ordered the seven staff members present to remain where they were, but the staff followed them, asking them what they were doing. One staff picked up a phone to call the police but one of the intruders raised a hammer as though to hit her, so she hung up the phone.

'Here It Is'

After spotting the new machine, a CTP developer, one of the men said, "Here it is."

They smashed the machine with their hammers, and then left immediately. They did not touch any other equipment in the office or hurt any of the staff.

The print shop was recently brought on line. The CTP (computer-to-plate) developer was a brand new machine, costing $1 million Hong Kong dollars ($129,000). It generates microfilm from the computerized newspaper layout; the microfilm is used in printing the paper.

Hoodlums smashed their way through the door of the Hong Kong Epoch Times office. (The Epoch Times)

Chinese Communist Campaign against The Epoch Times

Ms. Ng noted that this was the latest incident of a long-running campaign of the Chinese communist regime against The Epoch Times .

Ms. Ng related this incident to difficulties The Epoch Times encountered in finding printing contracts in Hong Kong. In May 2005, after a contract for printing the newspaper expired, The Epoch Times was unable to secure an ongoing contract with any printing company. The company was forced to go with one shop on a day-to-day basis until recently opening their own print shop.

Ms. Ng says, "None of the print shops would come out and say the Communist Party had put pressure on them to refuse our business. But why would they refuse perfectly good business? It was obvious what was happening."

In order to ensure continual printing, The Epoch Times purchased equipment and set up its own print shop. That print shop had been in operation for two weeks at the time of Tuesday night's attack.

Hoodlums smashed their way through the door of the Hong Kong Epoch Times office. (The Epoch Times)

Ms. Ng also pointed to other incidents. On Feb. 9 in an Atlanta suburb, there was an attack on Yuan "Peter" Li, the Epoch Times chief technical officer. Four thugs forced their way into his home, beat him with the butt ends of a knife and gun, and then, ignoring valuables in the home, stole his two laptops.

Epoch Times staff report that their relatives in mainland China have received threats from Chinese communist officials. In Malaysia, the government banned the printing of The Epoch Times under pressure from the Chinese communist regime, according to press watchdog groups.

In addition there is constant ongoing phone harassment in Hong Kong, on staff members' private phones, and on the office phone. Epoch Times staffers around the world have also reported receiving harassing phone calls.

The Nine Commentaries

Ms. Ng believes The Epoch Times publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party is key to understanding this recent string of incidents.

The Nine Commentaries is a series of editorials published by The Epoch Times in late 2004. The Nine Commentaries set forth in detail the massive crimes of the CCP; its rule of China through terror, lies and the control of all information; and its attempt to eradicate all traditional morality and religious belief. Hong Kong Epoch Times has distributed over 7 million copies, many of which have been carried by tourists back into mainland China.

The damaged CPT developer, the apparent target of the attackers. (The Epoch Times)

The publication and distribution of the Nine Commentaries has inspired over 8 million Chinese to renounce all association with the Chinese Communist Party.

In general Ms. Ng says that The Epoch Times is recognized by the common people of China as their voice, and within Hong Kong as a benchmark for freedom.

She states this latest incident will not stop The Epoch Times from printing in Hong Kong.