Former Commercial Radio Host Li Wei-ling meets the mediaLi Wei-ling spoke to the media about her sacking from her job as a Commercial Radio host on Wednesday. Li, a fierce government critic, blames Chief Executive Leung Chin-ying's administration for her dismissal.
"I'm unreserved, 100 per cent sure that this incident is the administration's suppression of the freedom of the press and speech," Li said.
She told the media that after she was informed of the sacking, she was not allowed to go back to pack her belongings or say goodbye to her colleagues. "The dismissal is unjustifiable and unreasonable - I didn't even get any warning," she said, adding that she didn't know why she merited such ruthless treatment.
The incident happened less than three months after she was taken off her popular show, On a Clear Day. Her boss, Stephen Chan Chi-wan, took it over.
Chan denied there was any political pressure to sack Li. However, Li revealed Chan had told her earlier he had come under pressure from the Department of Justice and the Office of the Communications Authority. Chan changed roles from chief executive to "chief adviser" on Tuesday, 24 hours before Li was sacked.
Li also claimed a senior government official had told her: "Leung said he hated you most in all of Hong Kong."
Leung issued a statement an hour later saying he personally had never mentioned to anyone any matters related to [Li's] position or work at Commercial Radio. He also vowed to uphold press freedom.
On Thursday, a group of Li's supporters gathered outside Commercial Radio's offices to demand an explanation for her sacking.