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Hong Kong National Police revoked bail of two Apple Daily Executives

The National Security police in Hong Kong have revoked the bail granted to two Apple Daily executives arrested last month. Associate publisher Chan Pui-man and editorial writer Fung Wai-kong were reportedly being detained at police stations in Sau Mau Ping and Wan Chai, respectively.

The two were among the several senior Apple Daily staff arrested in June on suspicion of conspiracy to collude with external forces to endanger national security.

Police claimed that those arrested were playing a key role in the publication of articles that called for foreign sanctions against HK and mainland officials.

Earlier on the same day, another former senior employee, Lam Man-chung, from the newspaper was also arrested for the same alleged offence.

https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/30558

Source: Stand News, hkcnews; #Jul20
#Breaking #PressFreedom
Breaking: Hong Kong Journalists Association deeply concerned that National Security Department detained a journalist and withheld travel documents to assist in investigation

The reporter who recorded the incident live belongs to an online news outlet. Accompanied by the lawyer of the HKJA, the reporter gave her testimony to the police at the Police Headquarters on the following day. The police said they will contact her through her lawyer if necessary, and will also notify the Journalists Association. Her role, according to the police, was to "assist in investigation".

However, at 11pm on July 26, 2021, without making contact through the lawyer, the national security police arrived at the temporary residence of the reporter, and demanded yet another testimony at the Police Headquarters.

Accompanied by national security personnel, the reporter then called her lawyer, only to tell the lawyer that their presence was not needed at the police station.

The reporter gave another testimony to the national security police, and was only accompanied by a friend. The reporter was taken to her original residence for the police to "collect evidence". The police also confiscated the travel document of the reporter.

The police had also not contacted the HKJA as promised. After learning of the incident, the Association immediately contacted the police to express their disapproval. After much deliberation, the HKJA lawyer was finally able to arrive at Chai Wan Police Station to accompany the journalist at 1am July 27.

As the HKJA learned, the journalist's role is still to "assist in investigation". However, she has now already given a cautioned statement, and the police has confiscated her travel documents. Furthermore, the documents are detained under authority of the National Security Department.

The HKJA stresses that a reporter who recorded a suspected crime being committed on live video is only carrying out their duty as a journalist. The reporter had also carried out their civic duty of assisting the police investigation, and should receive only recognition, rather than the treatment this journalist had received.

The HKJA demands an immediate explanation from the police, whether the reporter involved is only "assisting in investigation". If so, why did the police search her residence and confiscate her travel documents?

Following from the above, do future witnesses or potential witnesses also risk having their travel documents confiscated?

The HKJA stresses that this incident is equivalent to a threat against all journalists in Hong Kong. If merely recording an incident could turn a journalist into a suspect, then how can journalists perform their work with a peace of mind?

Government officials have said multiple times that the National Security Law only "affects a small handful of people". However, the acts of the National Security Department here is entirely contrary to the words of the officials. Because of it, all journalists in Hong Kong have been "affected", even "threatened".

HKJA calls for the police to respond immediately to the incident. The association also calls on all journalists to follow the incident, to safeguard the freedom of press and our own rights.

Source: Hong Kong Journalists Association #Jul27

https://www.facebook.com/242729300308/posts/10159255381655309/?sfnsn=mo
#PressFreedom #MediaLandscape
Another Talk Show Host Replaced after Pro-China Management Takes Over #NowTV in Hong Kong

Now TV News has seen yet another personnel change since Bill Chan Tit-piu, former managing editor of the pro-China TVB News, took over as the head of Now News last June. The latest change involved Max Wong, host of the current affairs programme “News Magazine”.

Jacqueline Pang, a co-host of the programme, posted a photo of Wong and herself on her Facebook page, confirming that Wong will no longer host the programme.

Sources claimed that the newly-arrived Bill Chan once tried to persuade a guest host, Jacky Fung Chi-chen, to reprimand the Council of HKU for tabling a motion to mourn #LeungKinFai who knifed himself after stabbing a police officer on 1 July this year.

Fung refused to comply with Chan's demand, and was soon replaced by Dr Xu Jin of HK University Centre for Asian Studies.

Source: Stand News; #Aug20

https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/a-now-%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E6%99%82%E4%BA%8B%E5%85%A8%E6%96%B9%E4%BD%8D%E5%86%8D%E6%8F%9B%E4%B8%BB%E6%8C%81-%E6%99%82%E4%BA%8B%E8%A9%95%E8%AB%96%E5%93%A1%E7%8E%8B%E6%85%A7%E9%BA%9F%E9%9B%A2%E4%BB%BB
Citizen Journalist Zhang Zhan Jailed over Covid-19 Report, Weighing Less Than 40kg on Hunger Strike
Her Family: She may not live long


China citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" after exposing the epidemic in Wuhan last year. She has been on a hunger strike in prison, and her health is deteriorating.

Her brother, Zhang Ju, recently posted on Twitter that his sister appears to be terminally ill and is worried that she will not be able to survive the winter. The British Embassy in China urges the Chinese authorities to release Zhang Zhan and other detained journalists immediately.

In a series of posts on Twitter on Saturday and Sunday, Zhang Ju revealed his sister Zhang Zhan's latest condition and posted her old photos. "I don't think she can live much longer," he said, adding that Zhang is 177cm tall but weighs less than 40kg now, "if she doesn't make it through the coming cold winter, I hope the world will remember her".

Editor note: "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" is a charge routinely used to suppress dissent, levelling against citizen journalists, human rights lawyers and activists.

#China #Wuhan #ZhangZhan #Prison #HungerStrike #Journalist #PressFreedom #Covid19 #Pandemic #ZhangJu #Twitter #BritishEmbassy

Source: The Stand News #Nov02

https://bit.ly/30529DQ
#Award
#AppleDaily Founder #JimmyLai awarded 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award

The Committee to Protect Journalists (#CPJ) awarded Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is currently in jail, the 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award on November 19, 2021 for his extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom.

Complimenting Lai's achievement, CPJ said, "Lai has become a powerful symbol of the struggle to maintain press freedom in Hong Kong as China’s Communist Party exerts ever greater control over the territory."

The Committee further stated that "In prison, denied bail, the outspoken critic of the Chinese government and advocate for democracy faces charges that could keep him in jail for the rest of his life."

Source: Stand News; #Nov18

https://bit.ly/3nXrw3D

#Recognition #PressFreedom #Arrestee #Dissident #GwenIfill
#PressFreedom #Award
Jimmy Lai and Apple Daily Editors win Golden Pen of Freedom Award


Hong Kong media mogul #JimmyLai and the staff of the shuttered Apple Daily newsroom have been awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom award of the World Association of News Publishers.

Lai, who founded #AppleDaily, has been detained for nearly a year on charges under the National Security Law, including colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security. He is expected to spend his 74th birthday on Dec 8 behind bars.

Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, accepted the award on behalf of his father. He said that “journalism is at the forefront of history,” and that “it records the present and informs the future. It is a check against the powerful, and the voice of the people in times of strife.”

Apple Daily, one of Hong Kong’s most popular Chinese-language newspapers, closed in June after authorities used the controversial National Security Law to arrest the editor-in-chief and four other senior executives.

“With Apple Daily closing in Hong Kong, and a crackdown against journalism across the region, there will be less and less people shining light in these dark corners.”

Sebastien Lai said, adding “Thank you very much for this award but please keep dad, the Apple Daily newsroom in Hong Kong, and the people of Hong Kong in your thoughts as these events unfold.”

#GoldenPen #Media #Award #PoliticalOppression #NationalSecurityLaw

Source: Citizen News; #Dec2
https://bit.ly/3EkUSyy
#PoliceState #LegCoElection
HK Police Intimidates Reporter and Warns of "Loitering" Charges in Polling Station

On December 19, 2021, the Legislative Council Election took place in Hong Kong, after being postponed by the authorities for over a year.

In the Tin Sui polling station in Tin Shui Wai, very few voters turned up, unlike the long queue and the crowd during the Pro-democracy Primary Election in the summer of 2020.

Back then, the average waiting time of the polling station is one hour where the queue always consists of several hundreds of citizens.

In the 2021 LegCo Election, there were at least 4 uniform police patrolling the area. An InMedia reporter was confronted by the patrolling officers outside and the police inside the polling station.

Not that the police recorded the personal details of the reporter, an officer accused the reporter of being a "fake reporter." "Never heard of InMedia. Who is your boss?" the police said.

The police ordered the reporter to show the photos that were taken. The police also claimed that they have already arrested some people who took photos in other polling station for "loitering".

In another polling station in Wanchai, the police forbade a InMedia reporter from conducting interview in the unrestricted area outside the polling station. The police claimed that "only iCable and another outlet" can cover the election news.

Source: InMedia #Dec19
https://bit.ly/321XJyx

https://bit.ly/3EbtYZ5

#PressFreedom #InMedia
#PoliticalOppression #PressFreedom
2021 marks a sad milestone for Journalists in HK : Committee to Protect Journalists

In the Committee to Protect Journalists (#CPJ) annual report 2021, it revealed that the number of journalists jailed around the world had set another record in 2021, with #China remains the world’s worst jailer of journalists for the third year in a row, with 50 behind bars. 

As for Hong Kong, it said that 2021 "marked a sad milestone".

"For the first time journalists in the former British colony appear on CPJ’s annual survey of journalists unjustly imprisoned for their work. Eight. Zero to eight in one year."

READ FULL ARTICLE:
https://cpj.org/2021/12/hong-kongs-sad-media-milestone/

RELATED ARTICLE:
https://cpj.org/2021/12/attacks-on-the-press-in-2021/

The number of reporters jailed for their work hit a new global record of 293 in CPJ’s 2021 prison census, up from a revised total of 280 in 2020. Also so far in 2021, at least 24 journalists were killed as a result of their coverage.

#NationalSecurityLaw #FreedomOfSpeech #PressFreedom #JimmyLai #AppleDaily

Source : Committee to Protect Journalists; #Dec9
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#StandNews Thanks Hongkongers for Their Support Despite Political Oppression

On December 29, 2021, Stand News has announced ceasing their operations and laying off all staff immediately after the police arrested a number of current and former management staff and freezing their assets.

The 7 arrested are the former and acting editors-in-chief of Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, four former board members – singer Denise Ho, barrister Margaret Ng, Christine Fang and Chow Tat-chi – and former Apple Daily executive Chan Pui-man, a former contributor.

Deputy assignment editor Ronson Chan briefly spoke to reporters as was leaving the Stand News office around 5pm. With tears in his eyes, he called it a "sad day", and thanked readers for their support.

Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/31751

Source: Citizen News #Dec29

#Media #PoliticalOppression #PressFreedom #Regime #Arrest #PoliceState #PoliticalProsecution
#Breaking #PressFreedom
Hong Kong Citizen News announces its closure 5 years after its establishment

Below is the press’ open letter to its readers:

A farewell from Hong Kong Citizen News

Today is 2 Jan 2022, hkcnews has to say goodbye to all our readers 5 years after our establishment.

It is still in our vivid memory that on 1 Jan 2017, hkcnews was established. During the press conference for announcment, many experienced reporters had expressed their concerns over press freedom in Hong Kong, hoping that hkcnews could uphold the spirit of professionaism, stay true to the essence of journalism, and serve the public. During that time, we "hoped that this tiny step we take could gradually encourage the industry to protect the freedom of press".

Then, albeit facing extremely scarce resources, hkcnews slowly made our tiny stpes, paving our way into the news reporting world. We strove our best to cover exclusive news, data analysis, interviews, investigative reports, feature articles, court news, Chinese news, etc.. Although our coverage might not be the broadest, nor the fastest, but this little team of us has never stopped striving for depth and accuracies in our reports.

We started from having only 10 people in our team, now we are proud colleagues of dozens professionals, and from being a nobody, to hearing people saying they have been reading our articles.

It’s been 5 years. We truly thank all for your support.

─────────

The first news article of hkcnews, published on 1 Jan 2017.

"Hong Kong Citizen News was born on this special new year because we want you all to remember, regardless of situations, that 'This land we cherish, into our bones this love we’ve etched, happy or sad, in life or death, it's still Hong Kong, our land'."

We all love this place, yet with regret, we are not only facing a storm, but a tornado and tsunami.

We have never forgotten the reason we started. Unfortunately, with the radical change in our society, the environment for journalism has been deteriorating. We can no longer strive for our aim fearlessly.

Right in the eye of the typhoon, the little boat of us is in severe situation of waves and winds. We have to first make sure everyone in hkcnews is safe under such dangerous situation.

Therefore it is with utmost sadness that we announce:

Starting from 4 Jan 2022, Hong Kong Citizen News will cease operation. We will stop updating our websites, which will be shut down sometime later.

We sincerely thank our subscribers and readers for all of your support, which we will hold dearly onto, and remember, forever.

All those we have gone through in the past 5 years will be cherished memories of ours.

Hong Kong Citizen News

Source: Citizen News; #Jan2
#Media #CloseDown #Solidarity #Humanity #PressFreedom #PoliticalOppression #Readers #Hongkongers #WhiteTerror
#Solidarity
Hongkongers Express Gratitude to #StandNews

[Editor's notes: The following open letter to Stand News was published by Liber Research, an independent research organization in Hong Kong with a focus on local studies. Liber Research expressed gratitude to Stand News in the past years for defending the freedom of the press and information in Hong Kong.

Stand News was forced to shut down on December 29, 2021 after the Hong Kong authorities arrested 7 current and former senior staff of the news outlet on the same day.]

"Thank you so much, Stand News, for reporting local news and publishing our studies over the years.

The articles, videos, news reports, webcasts, commentaries, investigative reports, and interviews of Stand News enabled our research to be covered every few days.

With the support of Stand News, our work has become all rounded.

Stand News never neglects the burning issues in Hong Kong society. Professional investigations, in-depth interviews, local sensitivity, topical issues, and reflective discussions had defintely made Stand News a legend despite difficult times.

The sudden closure of Stand News will make civic organisations lose their key dissemination platform, impacting on how social reality could be reflected in the long run.

Following the deterioration of the media freedom in Hong Kong this year, Hongkongers can see the changes of information dissemination.

It is quite certain that the closure of Stand News will further restrict information flow with regard to public issues, especially for critical studies. Room for publication with depth and breadth is diminishing.

Regardless, let us wish best of luck to all Stand News journalists. Let us treasure what's left and keep each other in company until the very end.

'As long as local opinions persist, no one can cover the sun with one finger.'"

Source: Liber Research #Dec29

#PressFreedom #Research #Regime #PoliceState
#WhiteTerror #Censorship
Newspaper in Hong Kong States in Editorial: "No Intention to Incite Hatred"

In late December 2021, six former and current senior staff members of Stand News were arrested for "conspiracy to publish a seditious material". The authorities said that it contravened sections 9 and 10 of the Crimes Ordinance.

The former chief-editor Chung Pui-Kuen and the former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu-Tung were both detained and denied bail. Stand News immediately announced to cease operation.

On January 6, 2022, #MingPao, a Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong, stated in its editorial that the newspaper has no intention to "incite hatred, dissatisfaction, and hostility" and they are only "pointing out the wrongdoings and suggesting a legal improvement to the society".

Following #StandNews, #CitizenNews and other 5 media have been recently closed down.

The chief-writer in Citizen News Chris Yeung Kin-Hing worried about the unpredictable redline. He was not comfortable to be a journalist as any article, report and interview can be classified as incitement.

Chief Executive #CarrieLam, however, claimed that the number of media registered on the information service department has increased in the past year, when she was asked whether press freedom has declined.

"The shut down of the media is their personal choice that we should not directly connect it with #FreedomofPress. The government and the police force only act in accordance with the law."

The editorial posted by Ming Pao reads:

"Criticism in the journal was to point out the mistakes or weaknesses of the related systems, policies or regulations and aim to correct or to eliminate them with legal improvement. There are no hatred, dissatisfaction, or hostility incitement to the government or other social groups."

Source: InMedia #Jan6
https://bit.ly/3JLmArq

#CarrieLam #YeungKinHing #ChungPuiKuen #LamShiuTung #NSL #CrimesOrdinance #PressFreedom #MediaLandscape
#PressFreedom
#852Post Founder Relocated to Taiwan to Speak on Hong Kong Matters

#YauChingYuen, the founder of 852 Post, a pro-democracy news platform, revealed in a Youtube video released on February 8, 2022 that he has left Hong Kong for Taiwan on January 17, 2022. His wife just arrived in Taiwan and was currently in quarantine.

Yau revealed that he received a visa issued by the Taiwan government last February, but he thought he could stay in Hong Kong for a longer while.

The authorities' suppression of Stand News, an independent news outlet in Hong Kong, changed his mind.

Yau described the situation in Hong Kong as "Cultural Revolution" alike. He realised that he could only leave Hong Kong in order to speak up.

Source: Youtube #Feb8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUS3p_cyOSw
#PressFreedom
Pro-democeacy news anchor stumbles in career development in Hong Kong

Young news anchor, Ingrid #TseHingYee worked for three media outlets in three years. Her disrupted career, is a sad reflection of Hong Kong's stifled media and banished press freedom.

Most recently, Tse was seen hosting a press briefing for the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institution.

She thanked her supporters after the briefing, saying that she is pondering possible developments in her career.

Tse joined #AppleDaily in 2021 after resigning from i-Cable in 2019 due to arguments about editorial decisions.

The 25-year-old journalist moved to work in online media Hong Kong #CitizenNews after Apple Daily was folded in June 2021.

In January 2022, Citizen News announced plans to close after some 200 police raided #StandNews, another independent media outlet in Hong Kong, citing concerns about the safety of its staff.

Source: inmediahk; #Feb12
https://bit.ly/3gVtGwl
#PoliceState #PressFreedom
IG's attempt to remove a video showing youngsters being subdued by Hong Kong police triggers concern over press freedom

In Hong Kong, a 15-year-old boy was reportedly pinned to the ground by three plainclothes officers at a basketball court in Wong Tai Sin, according a video shared by online media Channel C HK.

The footage – shot by an eyewitness – appeared to show three men holding down a teenager whose mask came off as they struggled. The boy can be heard saying: “You pushed first.”

This 6-min footage, uploaded on Instagram, received over 300,000 views.

Although the footage has included comments from Hong Kong police, the video was lifted by IG for 10 hours, citing "assisting to hurt people" as reason.

Hours later, the video was released again, although IG failed to provide any reason.

The online media outlet expressed frustration and disappointment as IG has never explained their actions.

Source: Channel C; #Mar10
https://youtu.be/I81DlV6_K7M