Kevin Lau Chun-to, former editor-in-chief of Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao, was stabbed by two unknown attackers on Wednesday morning. This atrocity has prompted massive indignation in Hong Kong society. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack, promising that local police would conduct a full investigation. He also issued an appeal for information.

As Lau's compatriots on the mainland, we condemn such violence, and hope the local police can track down the attackers as soon as possible.

As a well-known media professional in Hong Kong, Lau was moved from the position of editor-in-chief in January and took up a new post at Ming Pao's e-publishing and education unit. This job relocation triggered some minor protests by Ming Pao staff, which soon died down, and Lau didn't express any dissatisfaction over the relocation.

Lau was stabbed soon after, and media were quick to mention Lau's job transfer when reporting the incident.

It is a reasonable reference, but too much of it implies that Lau's attack and relocation were somehow connected. These voices could possibly have been manipulated by certain political forces, which always maneuver public opinion and come up with conspiracy theories.

Before the perpetrators are caught, it is highly irresponsible to imply who was behind the incident or what forces plotted the attack. Some opposition figures in Hong Kong deliberately connected Lau's incident with his transfer in Ming Pao, suggesting that he was attacked because he offended a senior mainland official. This groundless allegation needs to be condemned as well.

Whether the attack on Lau can be properly handled is not only a challenge for Hong Kong police, but also a test for the maturity of Hong Kong's community. If the perpetrators injured Lau not out of personal enmity but with the intention to cause a sensation, their purpose must be creating chaos in Hong Kong by taking advantage of their sensitive identities. If so, Hong Kong residents' maintaining their faith in rule of law and the government is the most powerful rebuke against those perpetrators.

With the approaching of universal suffrage in 2017, Hong Kong is becoming an arena where many political forces contend with each other, which makes this period quite eventful.

Although circumstances are becoming delicate and difficult, Hong Kong still needs to insist on the basic principles it has always adhered to. Let the rule of law be the prime gauge for addressing problems and controversies.