Police Raid Shutters Independent Hong Kong News Outlet For “Seditious” Content
It’s only a matter of your time for all remaining independent and opposition outlet voices before the police come knocking
In the most recent pro-China crackdown on Hong Kong independent media, police raided the headquarters of vocal pro-democracy website Stand News on Wednesday and caught at least six, including present and former editors plus board members.
“ Police raided Stand News’ office previously in the day after arresting the six, including well-known singer and activist Denise Ho, a former board member, on charges of conspiracy to publish a seditious publication, ” the Associated Press detailed of the raid which involved more than 200 officers and the seizure of all suspected “ subversive” and “ seditious” journalistic materials under last year’s national security law .
Hours to the day the news website has been no longer being updated, neither its active social media web pages. Stand News’ HK$61 mil in assets have been iced and all employees dismissed.
It appears to be portion of a new crackdown wave towards opposition Honk Kong mass media, following the June 2021 shuttering of the Apple Daily newspaper in a similar massive police raid which saw the publisher Jimmy Lai and top editors arrested, because HK authorities continue forcing the public strongly in line with “ pro-China” insurance policies .
It’s now looking like the particular crackdown is likely to keep on beyond Stand Information. The AP writes further, “ Early Wednesday, Stand News posted a video on Facebook of police officers at the house of a deputy editor, Ronson Chan. ”
The report adds that “ Chan, who is also chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was taken away regarding questioning, the organization confirmed in the statement. ” Later launched, he described that all his credentials and press pass, including all digital devises and even bank cards were seized .
Hong Kong police claimed in the follow-up press conference that “ we are not concentrating on reporters” while a mass media industry group protested the particular raid. Police described Stand News in particular as having “ stirred up hate or contempt for the authorities and judiciary, ” the AP noted. HK police further had several friendly “ advice” for all those other media and journalists:
“ We are not really targeting reporters, we are not targeting the media, we just targeted national safety offenses, ” said Li Kwai-wah, senior superintendent of the police National Security Division. “ In case you only report, I don’t believe this is a problem. ”
He said at a news conference that those arrested needed to account for their actions even though they had resigned from Stand News.
Asked what guidance he had for the media, Li replied, “ Do not biased. You know well the best way to report, how to be a accountable reporter, how to make a non-biased report to your readers. That’s all I can give you. ”
This arrives even after the outlet ceased the particular publication of most op-eds and removed the subscription-only membership, citing the prior nationwide security law. Those nevertheless being detained reportedly address two years in prison and also a fine up to HK$5, 500.
Appear star Denise Ho was among the Wednesday arrests of pro-democracy media voices…
Likely it’s only a matter of your time for all remaining 3rd party and opposition outlet voices before the police come knocking, as journalists struggle to figure out what exactly “ don’t be biased” actually means in the minds of pro-mainland authorities.
