RTHK Sacks Slew of Hosts

Host Allan Au said goodbye to listeners on his last show

In the last two weeks, Radio Television Hong Kong has had a spate of hosts fired from radio and television shows.

On Monday evening, at the end of RTHK's Open Line Open View, long time host Allan Au announced it was his last time hosting the political commentary show. 

The veteran journalist said that he had hosted the phone-in program once or twice a week for 11 years and described his departure as "the end of a chapter", and said he had developed a relationship with his listeners.

Tsang Chi-ho was also let go abruptly

"Actually, we only discuss facts [during the show], and we reason, we just want to listen to the opinions of more people," he said at the end of the show.

Au bid farewell to his listeners and his colleagues at the government-funded radio broadcaster, saying, "Everyone, take care."

The following morning on Commercial Radio, Au said he was told by the department head 30 minutes before the radio show that it would be his last day due to "staffing changes."

He did not know why he was fired as a host, but speculated it could be related to opinion pieces he wrote for other media outlets, some of which were critical of senior management at RTHK. 

Au, who is also a journalism academic, said he was only in charge of raising questions on the radio show, adding he never expressed the views from his commentaries while on the air.

Also on Monday, a TV show called RTHK Talk Show, which covered topics such as history, philosophy and literature was also axed, said one of its hosts Leung Kai-chi.

Tsang posted this empty set on his Facebook

He wrote on Facebook that he was going to record an episode on Tuesday, but later received a notice that the show was terminated.

"Thank you to the production team for your efforts along the way. Thank you to the guest hosts for encouraging each other and thank you each and every audience for your support and encouragement," he wrote, and attached a photo of an empty studio in RTHK.

And on June 18, a popular radio presenter with pro-democracy leanings, Tsang Chi-ho, was told he was sacked after he finished his program. His co-host, Jackie Chan was also let go.

Tsang was part of the popular satirical show Headliner that was axed in June last year after the show received numerous complaints from the police commissioner, and was investigated by the Communications Authority.

Maybe that's why yet another RTHK host, Stephen Vines, has decided to call it quits.

Tsang starred in a satirical show axed last June

The commentator and author who was previously the editor-in-chief of the defunct Eastern Express back in the mid 1990s, says he's leaving the public broadcaster because of the national security law.

He was guest presenter of Backchat since April, and was dropped as a political commentator on the Morning Brew radio show, which he had appeared on for more than 10 years.

Vines ended the Backchat program by saying:

"We happen to be discussing the first anniversary of the national security law today, it seems to me that for somebody who is more critical, the time to remain at RTHK has ended. So with great regret -- but reflecting great pleasure over the years -- I think I better go," he told listeners.

He also hosts an English political program called The Pulse, which aired its final episode before the summer break and Vines was unsure if he would return as host.

Vines told listeners he was leaving RTHK

"I think that the whole point about RTHK and the reason why I've always liked it is it took very seriously its role as a public broadcaster, by which I mean a broadcaster that was more responsible to the public than it was to the people who provided the money, i.e. the government. But then you could say, well who provides the money for the government -- that's also the public," he said.

"The reason why I have misgivings now is that I don't feel that the mandate of RTHK as a public broadcaster is as strong as it was in the past, I think there's much more pressure on the station to be an organ of government rather than a public broadcaster."

With all these shows cancelled and axed, what are people listening to and watching on RTHK? Is there dead air, or a blank screen?

The changes happening there are fast and shocking, leaving people little time to prepare, let alone say goodbye to colleagues, and more to come.

Only the head of RTHK, Patrick Li Pak-chuen knows when it will all end...

10K Officers on Patrol July 1

A previous July 1 flag-raising ceremony in Wan Chai

 

July 1 is going to be very quiet this year.

And the whole city is going to be crawling with blue uniforms.

The Hong Kong police have announced that 10,000 officers -- up from 7,000 earlier -- will be patrolling the street to ensure the city is secure and there are no signs of dissent.

Police may shut down Victoria Park like June 4

The force has even mulled shutting down Victoria Park, the usual site of where marches start from. 

"It depends on if there are online appeals for people to turn up at the Causeway Bay park to kick off the march despite the ban," a senior police source told one news outlet.

Speaking of marches, as expected the three groups that appealed to the police to re-consider their application for a protest march on July 1 was rejected.

Eddie Tse Sai-kit, a spokesperson for the League of Social Democrats, Tin Shui Wai Connection, and Save Lantau Alliance, was disappointed by the outcome.

"The government has not done well enough to contain Covid-19 and now it is making use of it as an excuse to suppress our civil rights," he said. 

The groups said they would urge people to wear black on July 1 to show their discontent with political oppression.

Some 10K officers will be working on July 1

Meanwhile another police source said the unprecedented number of officers was needed from daybreak to late at night, and would include road closures near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for the flag-raising ceremony in the morning.

"We have to prepare for the worst regardless of whether any intelligence has been received."

John Lee Ka-chiu who will be acting Chief Executive, does not want any trouble on his watch that day. No expenses or man power spared.

July 1 March Cancelled for Second Year

The July 1, 2019 march is the last of the annual marches in HK

The annual July 1 march will be cancelled for a second year, with the police force citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the reason.

Up until last year it was the Civil Human Rights Front that had organized the marches since 2003, but this year announced it had disbanded as several of its prominent members, including its convenor, Figo Chan Ho-wun were in jail, and the police investigating the legality of its existence.

As a result, three civic groups decided to carry on the mantle and apply for police approval for the march that was scheduled for Thursday.

The League of Social Democrats, Tin Shui Wai Connection, and Save Lantau Alliance applied to hold the march that would coincide with the 24th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. As expected their application was not approved.

The national security law is one year old in HK

"The police have reasons to believe that holding the activities would not just increase the risk of participants and other citizens getting infected, it would also pose grave threats to the lives and health of all citizens, endangering public safety and affecting the rights of others," the force said in its rejection letter.

The police added that officers had discussed the proposed arrangements for the march with the organizers, but believe that adding certain restrictions "would not help to ensure public order, public safety and protecting other people's rights and freedoms".

Perhaps what the force is alluding to is that Beijing doesn't want any kind of dissent on display that day.

That's because July 1 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. It's actually on July 23, 1921, but it's the same month...

And it will also mark the first anniversary of the implementation of the national security law, so lots to celebrate this year.

The Communist Party celebrates 100 years

However Eddie Tse Sai-kit of Save Lantau Alliance is not convinced of the force's explanation.

"The government has already relaxed the number of people allowed to gather indoors. Why not outdoors?"

He also noted the promotions of John Lee Ka-chiu to Chief Secretary and Chris Tang Ping-keung to Secretary of Security as being hardliners.

"Why is the government so scared of letting people voice their concerns on the streets?"

While these are good points, security trumps all in times of big anniversaries for China. 

Even though the three groups plan to appeal the ban on Tuesday evening, they are probably going to be rejected again.

These groups deserve kudos for trying to do their bit for civil society, but it seems this year was not to be...

After Apple Daily, Stand News Might be Next

A vendor spotted selling back copies of Apple Daily today

 

People are still reeling from the loss of Apple Daily.

A friend told me the other day, whenever she wanted to find out the latest news, she automatically turned to the Apple Daily app on her phone and then realized it was blank. Now my friend, along with millions of others are wondering what news media they can read now. 

A mini version of Apple Daily (right)

This weekend some news stands sold back copies of Apple Daily to the delight of souvenir hunters, while others got really creative and made mini copies of the last edition of the paper. "Easier to bring along when you move. Remind your kids about Apple Daily," one sign says.

However, that newspaper is not the only one that is vulnerable -- Stand News may be the next target.

Today the popular pro-democracy web media, which was founded after the 2014 Umbrella protests, announced it has taken a number of measures to protect itself, its staff and readers. 

It will remove all opinion pieces and commentaries published in May or earlier, and will only consider re-posting with the consent of the authors, while news reporting has remain unchanged.

However, six of the parent company's eight directors have resigned, including barrister Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, singer Denise Ho Wan-see, and columnist Joseph Lian Yizheng.

Two founding directors, Tony Tsoi Tung-ho and chief editor Chung Pui-kuen will stay on.

While Stand News relies on subscriptions and donations to operate, it has said it will stop its monthly membership sponsorship scheme, and stop receiving donations.

Stand News is trying to mitigate possible attacks

"We have enough money to run for another nine to 12 months. If necessary, we will seek help again from Hongkongers in future," Stand News said.

It has terminated the employment contracts of its journalists to protect them and compensated them with higher salaries than legally required. The vast majority will continue to work for Stand News.

Defending press freedom these days requires courage. And fearlessness.

Can Jimmy Lai's Books be "Librarian's Choice"?

Can people borrow Jimmy Lai's books?

Now that the pro-democracy opposition has been ousted from the Legislative Council, pro-Beijing lawmakers are looking for ways to prove their patriotism. And they are going into overdrive.

One overzealous member of the pro-Beijing party, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong snapped a picture at the Shek Tong Tsui Public Library in Western district, showing a display of books by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying labelled as "the librarian's choice".

DAB's Yeung posted the photos on Facebook

Yeung Hok-ming posted pictures of at least 10 of the books on his Facebook page on Thursday, which prompted an immediate investigation by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It said a "rigorous and thoroughly investigation" was being conducted, and added public libraries must ensure its collections complied with the national security law.

Lai's Chinese-language books are not focused on politics, but his thoughts on business management or his life. Nevertheless by Thursday evening the books had been replaced with those about culture and traditions.

Perhaps they were the librarian's second choice...

While the LCSD declined to say whether the books by Lai should be removed from libraries, others by pro-democracy activists, like Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Horace Chin Wan-kan, former Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, and former Civic Party member Tanya Chan Suk-chong are not available for lending.

It seems Yeung has forced the issue of Lai's books, leaving the civil service scrambling to figure out what to do.

The library in question is in Shek Tong Tsui

Where are the red lines on these books that aren't political but are by someone currently in jail? And who is going to call the shots? More importantly who is going to take the fall for this incident?

The national security law has led to everyone second-guessing themselves and wondering if they are crossing the red line or not. This is going to make it harder for people to express themselves in public, particularly artists, writers, filmmakers and playwrights.

The paranoia is already well underway...

Hong Kong Becoming a Police State?

Lam swears in new lieutenants: Siu, Lee and Tang

Just as Hongkongers were mourning the end of Apple Daily, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced a cabinet shuffle with a government that will have an emphasis on law and order.

That's because Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu is now the new Chief Secretary, while police chief Chris Tang Ping-keung has taken over Lee's portfolio. Tang's deputy, Raymond Siu Chak-yee is promoted to police chief. 

Lee (left) replaces Cheung as Chief Secretary

In a formal announcement, Lam thanked Matthew Cheung Kin-chung for his almost 50 years serving the government, the last four years as Chief Secretary.

Just yesterday it had been announced that Lam and senior officials would fly to Beijing on July 1 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, and that Cheung would be in charge of Hong Kong. But that was not the case.

Lam dismissed concerns that Lee did not have policy experience that was crucial in the Chief Secretary role, where his portfolio includes education, welfare, food and health, and housing and transport.

Beijing has approved all three appointments ahead of crucial political events ahead in Hong Kong, including elections, the 25th anniversary of the handover of the city to China, and passing another piece of security legislation, Article 23.

Tang talking to officers during the protests

It seems Lee and Tang are rewarded for their handling of the 2019 anti-government protests, though Lee was never held accountable for the failure of passing the extradition bill.

After the announcement, reporters asked lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen, from the Federation of Trade Unions, if Hong Kong was turning into a police state.

"If it's a police state, why not? I don't think there's any problem with a police state. When we say a police state, I will view the other side, that is the emphasis on security," she said.

"In the past our society has experienced severe threats from violent factions. So I think security is an issue in our society. So if someone from the police discipline can help to govern Hong Kong, can help to maintain law and order in Hong Kong, why not?"

Mak says nothing wrong with a police state

So Asia's World City has now become a police state. Wonder how the Hong Kong Tourism Board will promote the city now...

Apple Daily Thanks its Readers

People lined up in the rainy weather to buy copies of the paper

 

After a late night absorbing the news that Apple Daily was closing for good, I could only sleep a few hours and woke up at 5.30am.

So I got up and went downstairs and across the street to buy the last edition of Apple Daily. The convenience store had a massive stack by the entrance. I grabbed several, paid for them and went back home. 

As expected there were highlights of stories they had done over the years, and a nice editorial summing up Apple Daily's 26 years' of existence.

The paper highlights its top stories in its 26 years

From June 20, 1995, "Our first editorial made our stance clear: 'What we need to be is a newspaper for Hongkongers.'"

One of its first editors was Tang Kwong-kit, who set up a breaking news team of 100 bikers trained in photography and journalism and zipped around town to cover the latest car accident or fire.

"People look down on social news. They think we are stirring up trouble by reporting on a chopped finger or a duck run over by a car. But the smallest incidents reflect a wider picture of society and its development," Tang said. "I am really proud of being a journalist."

The editorial ends by saying:

Apple Daily is not perfect, but what will a Hong Kong that cannot permit Apple Daily's existence look like? It is hard to be hopeful or optimistic as we look at the seemingly insurmountable mountain before us, but please trust that darkness comes before dawn. Being able to walk with you for 26 years has been priceless. Although our steps have faltered, in fighting this good fight, there is beauty still -- even in its cessation. We thank every reader of Apple Daily; this last chapter was written in conjunction with all of you. From this vantage point, we can perhaps say we have no regrets. Let's keep fighting -- together.

Before people went to work this morning they went to newsstands to pick up a copy of the paper. Some lined up for hours around the block, or became worried when all the copies were sold out. 

I came to work with those extra copies and gave them to colleagues who desperately wanted it and couldn't find it. It was my good deed of the day.

@surrealhk's image of apples all over Tamar...

Associate publisher Chan Pui-man wrote a farewell letter in the last edition of the paper.

"When an apple is buried beneath the soil, its seed will become a tree filled with bigger and more beautiful apples."

Was this what she had in mind?

 

The End of Apple Daily, The End of Press Freedom

Wow Apple Daily even has a swimming pool on the rooftop!

 

As I write this, Apple Daily is putting to bed its final edition.

Earlier today it was announced the paper would continue operating until Friday, but this afternoon the board of directors issued a statement saying Apple Daily would cease to operate on Thursday morning and thanked its readers. 

It was later revealed that 1 million copies of the paper would be printed.

Might as well go out with a bang.

Right now there are supporters standing outside the Apple Daily offices in Tseung Kwan O and waving their mobile phones with their lights on and shouting, "Add oil Apple!"

Tomorrow's front page

Staffers inside and on the roof are waving back.

And there are people lining up at a newsstand in Mongkok waiting for the newspaper to arrive an hour from now at 1.30am. 

For people in Hong Kong the end of Apple Daily is the end of press freedom in Hong Kong, the end of free speech and freedom of expression.

An attack on one news outlet is an attack on all media in Hong Kong. The forced closure of Apple Daily will change the media landscape forever.

To the Apple Daily reporters past and present, thank you for your hard work and dedication to get the news out to your readers. It isn't easy to work for an organization like this, particularly in the last two years, which is why you are even more courageous.

Thank you for fighting to the end.

Apple Daily Fights to the Death

A skeletal staff is keeping the paper going to the bitter end

 

Apple Daily is soldiering on to its last days even though some 40 percent of its staff have quit in the last few days.

Many of them resigned when they were told the company would ask the Security Bureau to unfreeze its assets; many believed this request would not be granted. They also quit when they were told they did not need to give one month's notice.

About 40 percent of staff have resigned

Some of the reporters who quit were concerned about legal repercussions, while others were determined to continue on to the end.

Among the teams that have packed up and gone were those managing online financial news, English-language coverage, breaking news and video content called "Apple Action News". Sections still running are local news, courts, features, entertainment, sports and photography.

"People who are doing their best even though we know the paper could shut down at any time, and teams have started to share workloads in order to make the paper publish as usual," said a journalist who has been at the paper for over a decade.

"The finance team is helping to work on local news, while the breaking news team is helping with interviewing colleagues as they do not have enough manpower to work outside."

Lam refused to answer an Apple Daily question

One of the three Apple Daily executives who was released on bail, Cheung Chi-wai, who was director of the tabloid's digital platform, has resigned. 

Meanwhile one Apple Daily reporter tried one last time to get Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to respond to a question during the weekly press conference:

"You said the national security law only affected a small number of people. But more than 800 people from my company were forced to lose our jobs. Can you respond, Mrs Lam?"

She left the auditorium without answering.

So this is a great victory for China and Xi Jinping -- just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, to see the end of its most outspoken foe.

But it was hardly a fair fight.

Shutting Apple Daily is a hollow win for China

It reminds me of C.S. Lewis' book, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, where the White Witch has the lion Aslan tied up with rope before she kills him.

The imagery of the helpless lion is similar to the newspaper trying to keep going in the last few days, its leader Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in jail, and lots of loyal readers willing to buy the paper even if its pages are blank.

Even when Apple Daily is shuttered, this will not change people's opinions about the paper; in fact they will have fonder memories of it and reinforce their attitude towards the government and Beijing.

Is this the way to win people's hearts and minds?

 

The Deathwatch for Apple Daily Has Begun

Apple Daily just marked its 26th anniversary on Sunday

The end of Apple Daily is nigh. 

It may come as early as Saturday if the newspaper's management is unable to persuade the Security Bureau to unfreeze its accounts in order to pay its staff.

One wonders how prepared founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was for this possible scenario -- that three of Next Digital's companies would be caught in the national security law web, and the paper's editor in chief and publisher would be charged with colluding with foreign forces, like himself.

Lai with his newspaper when he started in 1995

Twenty-six years ago, Lai was a brash outsider who threw lots of money into creating a newspaper which shocked the media establishment. How could someone who made money selling T-shirts and jeans know how to run a newspaper?

He started off slashing the price of the paper so cheaply that one would be a fool not to buy it for a few days to see if they liked it or not. His newspaper war got him a lot of attention from critics and fans. 

The paper's colourful look was modeled after USA Today, and it was called Apple Daily as in the forbidden fruit in The Bible -- if Adam and Eve did not eat it, there would be no evil and news.

Soon the paper became known for its paparazzi coverage of celebrities, hiding in the bushes to get a shot of an actor or singer caught with their lover. Apple Daily was also an ambulance chaser, listening in on the police radio frequency to find out about car accidents and such and were usually the first on the scene to get gruesome photos.

The police raided the office again last week

Apple Daily was also a fierce critic of the government, and by extension China due to Lai's political leanings. In 2003 it encouraged people to go out to protest against Article 23 on the July 1 march, and in subsequent protests, such as the Umbrella Movement, and the against the extradition bill in 2019.

One of its popular supplementary publication was Eat and Travel Weekly. If it did a story on the best char siu in the city, it would collect 30 or 40 of them, put them out on the boardroom table each with a number next to them and they would try each and every one to give a broad range of opinions. Many followed that publication as the definitive guide to local eats. 

But by 2003 China and the Hong Kong government had enough. They began squeezing the paper financially by indirectly persuading advertisers not to put ads in the pro-democracy paper, even though it was one of the city's most popular papers. 

That resulted in Next Digital having to severely downscale its supplementary publications on entertainment gossip and food, making three separate publications into one magazine.

Last Friday's edition of the paper, 500,000 copies

Last August's raid on the paper and arrest of Lai was a huge blow not only for the company but a horrible signal that press freedom was seriously under threat despite assurances from the government that press freedom is still alive and well in Hong Kong.

Then things accelerated last week with a second raid on the company and the arrest of five executives. It has now come to the point where vendors cannot deposit money into Next Digital's accounts, resulting in the demise of the just turned 26-year-old Apple Daily.

When it is shuttered, it will be the ultimate sign that press freedom is dead in Hong Kong, that free flow of information has been cut, and free speech is questionable.

How can the Hong Kong continue to describe the place as "Asia's World City"?

First Time in 19 Years, No July 1 March

Half a million people participated in the July 1, 2003 march

 

Every year since 2003, there had been a July 1 march to demonstrate against the government. It started that year to vehemently protest against legislating Article 23 -- the national security bill. Some 500,000 people came out to march peacefully in the streets.

It resulted in the bill being withdrawn and shelved indefinitely, as well as the resignation of the then security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, and later then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa stepped down for "health reasons".

The 2015 march after the Umbrella Movement

It was that march that showed if people came out to protest peacefully, the government was listening, and spurred subsequent marches every July 1 after that.

These marches were meant as a counterpoint to the pro-government celebrations marking Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It also reinforced people's passion for the city, their pride in being Hongkongers.

Marching on July 1 is not easy -- the high temperatures combined with high humidity and tens of thousands of people makes it a big communal sweaty affair. But everyone is usually in good spirits and patient enough to deal with the police making it at times difficult to continue walking.

On the streets were people of all ages, elderly people, young parents carrying babies, children, teenagers and professionals, all united together.

The 2019 march against the extradition bill

However, the organizer of this march, the Civil Human Rights Front, will not do it this year for the first time in 19 years.

It was revealed the group that used to organize the marches to demonstrate against the government every year since 2003 has disbanded since its convenor Figo Chan Ho-wun was jailed in May for his role in the unauthorized protest on October 1, 2019.

The news was revealed by Raphael Wong Ho-ming, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, a member group of the Front.

On Sunday Wong said some civil groups will discuss holding their own protests on July 1, though conceding any applications to the police to march will likely be rejected.

The front dissolved after Figo Chan was jailed

Last year the front had applied for permission from the police to march, but it was rejected citing the coronavirus pandemic, though some people still went out onto the streets that day to protest against the newly enacted national security law.

Wong said the league and other groups will set up street booths that day for people to be able to voice their opinions, while complying to social-distancing rules.

How things change so quickly within a year...

Inching Closer to $5K Handout

Chan warns people to use the handout only for local spending

 

The countdown begins to register for the HK$5,000 handout on July 4, but Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po warns people not to try to find ways to put that money into their bank accounts, that the money is specifically for local spending.

Permanent residents over 18 years of age can choose to have the money that is distributed in installments to be deposited into one of four payment platforms: Octopus, AliPay HK, WeChat Pay HK, and Tap & Go. 

Money will be deposited in 4 payment platforms

Those opting for Octopus will have their money given out in three payments of HK$2,000, HK$2,000 and HK$1,000, while the other three will have two installments of HK$2,000 and then HK$3,000.

Chan warned if merchants were found to conspire with consumers to cash in the vouchers would be blacklisted and dealt with by the relevant authorities.

"If a merchant that used to have small-sum transactions is found to have large-sum and unusual transactions, we may blacklist them if appropriate so they can no longer join this scheme," Chan said. "If there are elements of conspiracy and fraud, we won't rule out taking law enforcement action."

The HK$5,000 is meant to be used within a five-month period for shopping, dining and transport.

It won't be difficult for the average Hongkonger to use this money for everyday spending. This is HK$5,000 less they need to spend of their own savings for necessities. Instead it will be the credit cards and banks that will be hurting for a few months as people won't be using credit cards and cash as much. 

Registration begins on July 4 for Aug 1 payment

And HK$5,000 to be used within five months isn't a gob of money. For Chan to warn people to only use it for personal spending is ludicrous. What else are they going to use it for, since you must use up the money before getting the next installment.

Kiss those HK$5,000 Gucci sneakers goodbye.

It's not like Chan has given everyone HK$10,000 like last year. 

So while the intention is to encourage people to spend in local shops, it will only be those merchants who accept electronic payments that will win out. And for sure the supermarket chains will benefit the most. 

Can you imagine going to a fine dining restaurant to doot your bill?

Two Apple Daily Executives Charged, Supporters Buy Paper

Law (left), Cheung (right) charged with national security law

Following the arrest of five Apple Daily executives on Thursday, two were charged with violating the national security law, while the other three were released on bail today.

Chief editor Ryan Law Wai-kwong and chief executive Cheung Kim-hung were charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces, while associate publisher Chan Pui-man, chief financial officer Chow Tat-kuen, and digital director Cheung Chi-wai were released after being detained for 40 hours, pending further investigation.

Chan praised Apple Daily staff for their hard work

Emerging from Tseung Kwan O police station after 10pm, Chan was sad that two of her colleagues were charged, but that she would go to court tomorrow morning to support them.

"Over the past 40 hours when I was detained, I know my colleagues in Apple Daily have been standing fast professionally," she said. "They continue to cover and report the news. I am very proud of them. I am touched. We will do our best."

Around 12.15am last night Apple Daily had a Facebook live video filming vans being filled with stacks of the Friday edition of the paper and they fanned out across the city distributing the paper to news vendors. 

The reporter explained to some 2,000 viewers that the vans would have to do several rounds to send out 500,000 copies of the paper.

A man buys some 20 copies to show his support

Then around 12.30am the first stacks of the paper arrived at a news stand in Mongkok and already there was a line of people waiting to buy the paper. The vendor had to assemble the pages together before selling them. Some people bought one or two, but there were others who bought, 10 or 20 copies each.

A reporter asked why they bought so many, and they said it was to support Apple Daily. When asked if he had some words for the newspaper's staff, a young man said: "You usually 'add oil' when people are not trying hard enough. Everyone at the paper is doing their best, so it would be unethical to 'add oil'."

Another man said he bought the paper to support press freedom. When asked for his surname, he thought for a second and said, "Poon, my name is Poon." 

Sure.

Interestingly government adviser and senior council Ronny Tong Ka-wah clarified that buying a copy of Apple Daily did not violate the national security law. 

Why did he even say that?

"The core issue was [the articles] calling for foreign forces to impose sanctions or take hostile action against Hong Kong and the central government. Any other acts that do not touch on this would not offend the law, such as buying copies of the newspaper," Tong said during a Friday morning radio show.

However, Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun, chair of public law of the University of Hong Kong's law department, disagreed, noting police had also frozen HK$18 million (US$2.32 million) in assets of the three affiliated Apple Daily companies.

"If the arrests only [targeted] the senior staff... why did [police] not freeze the assets of the five senior staff members instead?" he said on another radio program.

But everyone is wondering how much longer Apple Daily will continue as there are rumours it could be shut down by July 1...

 

Apple Daily is Raided Again

500 officers were involved in this morning's Next Digital raid

 

Hong Kong's press freedoms continue to erode significantly despite government claims it is still protected.

The city woke up this morning to read the news that five executives from Apple Daily were arrested for allegedly violating the national security law, while the office where the newspaper is produced was swarmed by 500 police officers who took away lots of material, including computers from the newsroom.

This is the second time Apple Daily has been raided -- last August 10, officers descended on the Tseung Kwan O offices, arresting founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in front of staff, while editor in chief Ryan Law Wai-kwong vowed the newspaper would continue to run. And if they were raided again, they would start filming right away.

Editor in chief Ryan Law was arrested today

But this time the police prevented reporters from filming what was going on and limited their movements in the office, and Law himself was arrested at his home, along with four senior executives. 

The police said there were 30 articles that were evidence the paper was conspiring to collude with foreign forces by encouraging foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

The force also froze assets of three related companies -- Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printed Limited, and AD Internet Limited, amounting to HK$18 million (US$2.43 million). Next Digital suspended trading its shares today.

Watching this unfold in real time was chilling for many journalists, especially those who work for Apple Daily, wondering if this is really the beginning of the end.

Even Lai's right hand man, Mark Simon has fled to the United States, reported in an interview with Reuters. He said he was very concerned about the paper's future.

Later in the day, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said endangering national security "is an extremely serious crime. We need to curb such acts with the strongest measures, and consider all effective measures that the law allows."

Lee says to obey the law to avoid violating NSL

He said the raid at 6am this morning was not to target the press, but only to go after a publication that used "news coverage as a tool" to harm national security.

"The suspects tried to make use of journalistic works to collude with foreign countries or external elements to impose sanctions or take hostile action against Hong Kong and the central government. We need to differentiate what the suspects have done from normal journalistic work," he said.

What's "normal journalistic work"?

Lee was also ominous in saying people should cut ties with the five executives.

"Ordinary journalists are different, and should not get involved with them, keep a distance from them," he said in a press conference. "I hereby solemnly declare that: don't associate with these criminals endangering national security, you will pay a hefty price if [you] stand with these criminals, [you] should cut ties with these criminals before it's too late to repent."

He has already labelled the five as criminals before they have even gone to trial.

Police took lots of material including Lee'

Lee's advice to members of the media? "So the answer is simple: do your journalistic work as freely as you like in accordance with the law, provided you do not conspire or have any intention to break the Hong Kong law, and certainly not the Hong Kong national security law."

Meanwhile Chris Yeung Kin-hing, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association described the raid as "shocking" and "scary".

He told RTHK it was "quite scary" that the force was building a case around a number of newspaper articles, some of which date back to 2019 -- before the national security law was even implemented.

"Officials had repeatedly assured people that there would not be a retrospective effect of the law, but in practice, or in the enforcement of the law, it seems that's just empty words," Yeung said.

He added the latest developments will undoubtedly send a chill across the whole of society and will exacerbate self-censorship within the news industry.

"The fact that police seized and searched journalists' materials... there had been no protection to journalistic materials. That would create a chilling effect on not just the media, but for the public who will feel unsafe and uneasy talking to the media."

Reporters continue to file stories for tomorrow

Nevertheless, Apple Daily's reporters soldiered on, returned to the office to file stories and now after midnight, trucks are being loaded with 500,000 copies of the paper and being distributed across the city.

Copies will undoubtedly be snatched up tomorrow morning, a small act of support for what Apple Daily stands for. 

Hours before his arrest, editor in chief Law wrote a letter to readers.

"We want to be a newspaper for the people of Hong Kong."

Despite wanting to be a Hong Kong paper, how much longer can it sustain attacks that are financial, and now political?