In the wake of the police operation that led to the closure of the pro-democracy portal Stand News in Hong Kong, the independent news website Citizen News announced this Sunday (2) that it will end its operations on Tuesday (4).
The vehicle justified its decision by what it described as a deterioration of the media environment in the territory ruled by Beijing, wanting to guarantee the safety of its team.
“Unfortunately, the rapid changes in society and the worsening environment for the media make us unable to achieve our goal without fear,” explains Citizen News in a statement. “In the midst of this crisis, we first have to ensure that everyone on the boat is safe.”
Freedom of the press is part of the agreement between the United Kingdom and Beijing for the return of Hong Kong in 1997, until then a British colony. Pro-democracy activists and civil rights groups, however, say liberties have been eroded, particularly since China imposed a new national security law on the island.
Hong Kong authorities, for their part, reject the allegations and say they are not targeting the media.
The Citizen News decision comes days after two Stand News editors were accused of publishing seditious materials in a raid that brought 200 police officers to the vehicle’s newsroom during a search operation. The journalists were denied bail.
In addition to the editors, four other people were arrested: lawyer and former Democratic lawmaker Margaret Ng, pop singer Denise Ho and two former Stand News board members, Chow Tat-chi and Christine Fang. After the action, the newspaper announced that it would end its activities.
The closure of the two vehicles in recent days comes about six months after hundreds of agents stormed the newsroom of the Apple Daily, arresting executives for alleged crimes of collusion with a foreign country. In the days following the operation, the police froze the publication’s assets and the newspaper ended its circulation.
On the eve of the Stand News raid, prosecutors filed new charges in seditious publications against Jimmy Lai, an executive at the Apple Daily, and six other former employees of the newspaper. According to the prosecution’s argument, the content could “bring hatred or contempt” or “motivate discontent” against officials in Hong Kong and China.
Police did not release, however, which reports in the Apple Daily or Stand News were considered seditious.
Sedition is not among the offenses listed in Beijing’s national security law imposed on the island in June of last year. Are punishable, for example, terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession, with sentences up to life imprisonment.
Recent trials, however, have allowed authorities to use powers under the new legislation to implement colonial-era laws that were previously used sparingly, including the Order of Crime, which covers sedition.
Officials argue that the national security law has restored order after the 2019 pro-democracy protests, which are labeled frequently violent, and does not limit rights and freedoms. Critics, on the other hand, argue that the legislation is a tool to quell dissent and that it has set the former British colony on an authoritarian path.
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