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VI
THE PRESS
The most interesting event in the Hong Kong press world during 1952 was undoubtedly the Crown's action in bringing criminal charges of publishing seditious publications against the editors, publishers, proprietors and printers of three Hong Kong news- papers. The newspapers concerned were the Ta Kung Pao, New Evening Post and Wen Wei Pao.
The charges arose out of the publication by those newspapers of what the Crown claimed to be untrue accounts of the disturbance which occurred in Kowloon on March 1st. It was the Crown's case that the articles were calculated to bring the Hong Kong Government into contempt and to raise discontent and disaffection amongst the inhabitants of the Colony.
The hearing of the charges against the proprietor and publisher, the editor, and the printer of the Ta Kung Pao began on April 16th, before the Senior Puisne Judge and a Special Jury. The trial lasted until May 5th when verdicts of 'guilty' against the publisher and editor and of 'not guilty' against the printer were returned.
Fei Yi-Ming, the proprietor and publisher, was fined $4,000 or nine months imprisonment in default and Lee Tsung-Ying, the editor, was fined $3,000 or six months imprisonment in default. Fei Yi-Ming was ordered to pay $1,500, and Lee Tsung-Ying $1,000, towards the cost of the prosecution. The Court also ordered the suppression of the Ta Kung Pao for six months.
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