Hong Kong, First Published Dec 29, 2021, 1:27 PM IST
Hong Kong police have arrested six people from an independent news website for allegedly plotting to publish treasonous content. Those arrested include current and former employees of Stand News. More than 200 police officers have been sent to raid the publication’s office.
The police said in a statement that they had the authority to investigate and seize news outlets in the media. Among those arrested were current and former editors-in-chief of Stand News. Also included is Denise Ho, a former board member, pop star and later Democracy icon. She confirmed in a Facebook post that she had been arrested for the same offense and taken to the Western District Police Station. Three women and three men between the ages of 34 and 73 were arrested.
The footage, posted on the Stand News’ Facebook page, showed several police officers standing in the doorway of Deputy Assignment Director Ronson Chan on Wednesday morning. He was not arrested but was questioned. Last night, Chan hosted the annual dinner of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) of which he is the chairperson. In one speech, he referred to the closure of the Apple Daily. “The incident shook Hong Kong,” he said.
‘The city always needs the truth, it always needs journalists. He concluded by saying, “No matter how difficult the path ahead, the Hong Kong Journalist Association will not fall.” Earlier this year, hundreds of police raided the now-defunct Apple Daily area. The Apple Daily was a publication known as a fierce critic of Hong Kong and the Chinese leadership.
Apple froze Daily’s assets, detained executives and immediately shut down the newspaper. The shutdown made Stand News one of the city’s last, pro – democratic publications. It is one of a handful of relatively new online news portals that gained prominence during the pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Jimmy Loy, the media tycoon who founded Apple Daily, is currently serving a prison sentence for a number of specific offenses. The HKJA said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” about Wednesday’s incident and called on the government to protect media freedom in accordance with Basic Law. The Basic Law, which came into force when Hong Kong returned to China from Britain, protects rights such as freedom of association and freedom of speech.
Hong Kong authorities have been cracking down on dissent in the city since the introduction of the National Security Act. This controversial law criminalizes secession, subversion, and alliances with foreign powers, and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Critics say this has made it easier to punish protesters and activists.
Last Updated Dec 29, 2021, 1:28 PM IST
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