Self-Censorship Suspends Press Awards

The FCC decided at the last minute to suspend the HRPA

There is a lot of fury and disappointment over the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong for suspending its Human Rights Press Freedom Awards that would have been held on May 3, Press Freedom Day, at the last minute. 

The club's president Keith Richburg, said the decision was made after the board had a lengthy discussion about it on Saturday.

"Over the last two years, journalists in Hong Kong have been operating under new 'red lines' on what is and is not permissible, but there remain significant areas of uncertainty and we do not wish unintentionally to violate the law," he said.

Richburg said suspending awards was unusual

Richburg described the suspension as an unusual step to take just weeks before the winners were to be announced on May 3, acknowledging that it is likely deeply disappointing to the candidates, the judges and everyone else who took part.

He added suspending the awards was a very tough decision to reach, and that it "in now way reflects the FCC Board's view of the content of any of the entries or the work of the independent judges."

Nevertheless, Richburg said the FCC will continue to promote press freedom in Hong Kong, though "recent developments" -- without citing which -- might require changes to the club's approach.

In response, some of the FCC's press freedom committee members resigned, including journalists Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin, and Mary Hui. Five other committee members have also reportedly resigned.

"As a former winner and judge of the HRPA, I feel nothing but the deepest regret and do not stand by this decision," said Mahtani, who is the SouthEast Asia and Hong Kong bureau chief for the Washington Post.

Many of the events and talks are held here

"It is an award that meant something not only to Hong Kong, but journalists across Asia who covered some of the most consequential developments in the region last year," she said.

"It is emblematic too of the self-censorship many institutions feel forced to subject themselves to in today's Hong Kong, whether with or without their merits."

It would have been the club's 26th year in handing out awards, and many of them would have been won by Stand News, a pro-democracy news outlet that shuttered late last year.

What is also interesting to note is that the HRPA are traditionally co-hosted by Amnesty International and the Hong Kong Journalists' Association. Amnesty has left Hong Kong, while the HKJA is meeting to discuss whether it should disband or not.

These are the times we live in, but as the Foreign Correspondents' Club, it has an obligation to stand up for press freedom and other human rights, and yet it has cowered from this mandate, choosing instead to stay silent probably in the hopes of being able to renew the lease on the property on Ice House Street.

Mahtani resigned in protest

What is the club good for these days? They hold a few guest speaker talks, but it is mainly run by non-journalists now, and serves cheap drinks (and good curries I heard).

The least the club could do is continue to speak out about press freedom when people like Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying is in jail along with his senior editors, editors at Stand News are languishing in jail, and most recently journalist Allan Au who was arrested two weeks ago.

But it seems the club is more concerned about preserving itself than taking advantage of its unique position and speaking out on behalf of local journalists, as well as the HKJA, where its leaders, currently Ronson Chan, and previously Chris Yeung, risked its position to speak out as much as possible.

Many feel the FCC chickened out and has lost all credibility with the journalism community in Hong Kong -- or what's left of it.

It's no wonder that local journalists never had an interest in joining this club in the first place, which hardly represented them.

Lam says press freedom is protected in Basic Law

Ironically today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pronounced that press freedom, which is enshrined in the Basic Law, has been safeguarded and upheld in the SAR since the handover, meaning almost 25 years.

When asked about the FCC suspending its HRPA and political scientist Chung Kim-wah fleeing to the UK, Lam claimed they were isolated incidents.

"So I would say that the two examples you have given are those isolated incidents, which might have given people that impression, especially people who tended to misunderstand the constitutional safeguards for press freedom, and that is one has to observe the law in exercising your freedom," she said.

But journalists are observing the law, and yet they are caught in the crossfire, Mrs Lam... for whatever charges the national security police wish to prosecute them... surely that is the erosion of press freedom...

Veteran Journalist Arrested, then Released

Au used to write for Stand News and was charged with sedition

Soon after online media outlet Stand News shut down in December 2021, one of its former columnists, longtime journalist Allan Au Ka-lun would write "good morning" on his Facebook page as a way to confirm his safety.

But at 6am this morning national security police descended on his flat and arrested him on the charge of "conspiracy to publish seditious materials" and a police source added further arrests could be made.

Around midnight Au was released after 17 hours

Two other senior employees of Stand News have also been charged with sedition, though Au is the journalist and not a media executive, like Apple Daily to have this charge against him.

I am writing this just after midnight and it has now been reported that Au was released from Kwai Chung police station. "Thanks for your care and concern," he said as he put his hands in prayer.

Au, 54, is considered one of Hong Kong's most experienced local columnists, and was a Knight fellow at Stanford University in 2005, and earned a doctorate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

In 2017 he published a book about censorship in Hong Kong titled, "Freedom Under 20 Shades of Shadow".

In addition, Au had spent more than a decade working for Radio Television Hong Kong on a current affairs show. But it was axed last year after RTHK's management conducted a major shake up of the publicly-funded broadcaster from being independent to now towing the government line.

Au's radio show on RTHK was axed last year

The charge of sedition dates back to 1938 colonial Hong Kong, and now it is used against journalists, unionists, activists, a former pop star and ordinary citizens.

However, the courts treat it as a national security offence, where bail is often denied for those charged. 

Au is very lucky to be back home tonight... but for how much longer?

 

Lam said today she would not run again for chief executive

After five years, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has thrown in the towel. Today she announced she would not seek a second term, and will retire.

"I will not run in the sixth chief executive elections," Lam said. "In other words, I will complete my five-year chief executive term on June 30, and will officially end my 42-year career in government."

Twitter went nuts as soon as she made this statement, ending years of speculation if she would or wouldn't try to extend her term. In the end she cited family reasons for stepping down.

Lam victorious on election day in 2017

"They all thought it was time for me to come home," she said.

What is Lam going to do? She is a self-professed workaholic who is known for micromanaging. Maybe she'll spend the next few months counting all the cash she had stashed around Government House but after that, then what? Knitting? Gardening? Hard to imagine her being a homebody.

But it is a relief to know she will not be continuing as Chief Executive, but at the same time, the next leader will be just as hamstrung by Beijing.

Her time as chief executive has definitely left Hong Kong worse off than how it was five years ago. Most memorably was her proposal of the extradition bill in 2019 which led to millions of people protesting in the streets.

She did not heed her own election promise to step down if she did not have the support of the people. Instead the police were unleashed in a bid to quell the protests which resulted in many residents' hatred of the authorities which led to some violent clashes and the horrific attacks at the Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, and also in Prince Edward MTR station on August 31 that year.

Extradition bill sparked millions into the streets

None of these incidents were ever fully investigated or the police held accountable for their actions.

A year later Lam brought in the national security law, and that sparked another upheaval. Over 10,000 people were arrested, including lawmakers, activists, and students. Then Apple Daily was shut down, with owner Jimmy Lai Chee-ying arrested, and other pro-democracy media or outlets critical of the government closed down out of fear.

Civil society groups and unions also shuttered, either because of threats from the national security bureau or not wanting to have trouble.

Events like the candlelight vigil on June 4 that were commemorated for 30 years were suddenly considered illegal, and even the statue that memorialised it was taken down in pieces and taken away. Any slogans related to it were literally whitewashed.

And then the coronavirus pandemic erupted in Wuhan in January 2020 and soon made its way to Hong Kong.

Police seemed to collude with men in white shirts

At first Lam's administration was praised for managing to keep the virus out of the city, but two years in, fatigue started to set in, people tired of the social-distancing restrictions that seemed more political than scientific. How come playgrounds, sports grounds and beaches are shut when people should really be exercising outdoors and improving their mental health?

Even though Lam said she told Beijing she would not seek re-election, this fifth wave has done her in, being several steps behind Omicron and not being more insistent on vaccinating the elderly, which led to some 200 deaths a day, and over 50,000 cases for a few days.

Today there are 3,138 cases and less than 100 deaths, but not without the government continuing to insist mass testing will be held at some point, anti-epidemic kits being distributed, and such strict social-distancing measures that many sectors like restaurants, gyms, salons, and entertainment venues are in the verge of closing or have already shut, unable to financially sustain themselves.

And not to mention eliminating all opposition from the Legislative Council so that Hong Kong is governed by patriots.

Lam was caught flatfooted in fifth wave

Lam has completely and irrevocably changed the city for the worse -- even the pro-Beijing camp would agree. The next leader, while having an easy ride in Legco, will have a formidable task of reigniting Hong Kong's economy, though it will never be what it was like before 2019.

The sixth CE will have to drag the city closer to the mainland through the Greater Bay Area, but are Hongkongers ready for this? Is there even a game plan?

In the meantime Hongkongers cannot wait to see Lam finish her term in a few months. Where she will reside during her retirement is now up for speculation. Can she even stay in Hong Kong afterwards? Maybe she should pick up knitting and gardening after all...

Fearing for Staff Safety, Citizen News Shuts Down

Chief editor Daisy Li (left) and Chris Yeung speak to media

Today senior executives of Citizen News explained to the media why they were closing abruptly, admitting it was because of what happened to Stand News on December 29 when seven people related to the news portal were arrested, which led to its immediate demise.

They said they could no longer guarantee their staff's safety, as they did not know where the red lines were being drawn.

Citizen News shut down effectively today

Choking back tears, chief writer Chris Yeung Kin-hing said: "We can't work in a safe environment. Reporters are also human and have their families and friends too. Journalists don't want to be landed in this dilemma simply because of their work."

Yeung, who is the former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said the closure was because of what happened to Stand News.

"The city's media has been embroiled in a political storm with many media outlets or the overall media being deemed as the target of a shake-up," he said.

"From the Stand News incident, we see that many articles and reports are deemed as seditious. We are worried that we may have violated the law without our knowledge."

He added: "Hong Kong is really facing a great change in many aspects, about how to understand press freedom, and where to draw the line... and now many things about the law and law enforcement and so on have become vague."

Yeung said as journalists could be exposed to the threat of prosecution, the outlet had no other choice but to close.

Yeung said no authorities contacted them

"We can't assess how long such a situation would linger. It's difficult to carry on," he said. "We have no choice but to cease operations."

During the announcement, Yeung said they were not contacted by the national security police regarding Citizen News' reporting, though some commentators have warned some media outlets like Stand News and Citizen News were targets. 

Citizen News started five years ago on January 1, 2017 with 10 people and in the last five years grew to dozens of people, absorbing those who left RTHK or i-Cable, or Apple Daily. And now it has let go 40 journalists.

Meanwhile, Ip Iam-chong, one of the co-founders of the online news outlets Inmediahk, told a radio show there had recently been an intensification of the chilling effect on the media from a government campaign initially targeting the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper.

"When we first started, we thought we wouldn't last long, not because of political pressure, but because of finances," Ip said. "Nowadays any media that is not considered establishment will keep receiving threats or warnings to shut down."

Over 200 police raided Stand News last week

He feared the continued closure of media outlets would mean that more rumours, mostly regarding the government, would be able to spread unchecked on the internet.

Even this afternoon there were rumours of the government considering imposing a lockdown on Hong Kong to stop the spread of the Omicron variant; eventually the government did issue a press release to deny the rumour, but with trust in the authorities so low, does anyone believe it?

They would have turned to online outlets like Stand News and Citizen News to get the facts. But now they have to turn elsewhere... and is it a place they trust?

This is the state of press freedom in Hong Kong, and more importantly freedom of information in the city. 

Stand News Stands Down

Media covering arrest of Stand News editor Patrick Lam

Yesterday Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six former senior editors and executives were slapped with another charge of allegedly promoting seditious material. 

Early this morning news broke that the national security police arrested seven people related to independent online news outlet Stand News, including former and current editors, former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, musician and activist Denise Ho Wan-sze, and Christine Fang Meng-sang, cousin of former chief secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang.

Denise Ho was also arrested this morning

Police also froze HK$61 million (US$7.8 million) of Stand News' assets, making it the second news outlet to be accused of breaching the national security law.

Ronson Chan Ron-sing, Stand News deputy assignment editor and chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was also taken from his home in Tai Wai for questioning but was not placed under arrest.

Coincidentally, Chan was at the association's annual dinner two nights ago, in which he deplored the rapid deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong.

In part he said this:

"When the Excom was elected last June, we made a solemn promise to our colleagues and the society. We know that it is a turbulent time, but freedom of the press is one of the pillars of Hong Kong's success. Since its establishment in 1968, HKJA has attached importance to its social responsibility as much as to the needs of our colleagues. Hong Kong needs both truth and reporters. No matter how difficult the road is ahead, HKJA will do our utmost to continue to stand high and shoulder to shoulder. In the face of an uncertain future, we have no other request from our friends and partners other than your encouragement. Our humble wish is to continue to receive words of encouragement even if they may be soft and low."

Chan speaks to reporters after his release

By this afternoon Stand News was shut down, its employees all laid off. By 11pm tonight the website was shut down as well as its social media like Twitter accounts.

More than 200 police officers were involved in Wednesday's crackdown, raiding the Stand News office in Kwun Tong with a warrant, and took away 33 boxes of evidence, including computers and journalistic material, and also searching the homes of some of the accused.

At a press conference today, Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu justified the arrests of the seven which led to Stand News' demise.

"Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests [and] contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom," Lee said.

Barrister Margaret Ng was arrested by police

"Professional media workers should recognise that these are the bad apples who are abusing their position simply by wearing a false coat of media worker and then, using that position, abuse news as a tool, to pursue their own purposes. They will pollute press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise this, say no to these people and stand far from them."

Senior Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the police force's National Security Department, said they froze Stand News' assets as they questioned where the money came from as the news outlet did not accept sponsors or receive many advertising fees. 

The police also questioned how Stand News could have the money to open a bureau in the UK and if a conspiracy had occurred. 

Stand News was founded on December 29, 2014 and shut down almost seven days later to the day on December 27, 2021.

It became known for its on-the-ground reporting, particularly during the 2019 protests and was a go-to source for news for opposition-leaning readers. Its reporters also did investigative stories, including the latest one on two senior immigration officials allegedly receiving gift hampers from embattled developer China Evergrande.

Screenshot from Ho's live stream of Yuen Long

By law civil servants are not allowed to receive gifts worth more than HK$3,000, but these hampers were priced at HK$3,388. One of the officials surmised that the hampers were bought during an early-bird special so they actually cost under HK$3,000...

During the 2019 protests, it drew 3.8 million viewers when its then reporter Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, live streamed the attacks in the Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, and she herself was attacked by the white-clad men with rods. Her video was a chilling record of what happened that night.

But Stand News is no more. 

There are fewer places for Hongkongers to get their news. If anything the mainlandisation of Hong Kong continues to steamroll on, making press freedom in the city even more fragile by the day.

Strong Pushback and Prestigious Recognition

WTA still can't contact Peng directly after repeated attempts

This morning Beijing woke up to the news that the Women's Tennis Association is suspending all tournaments in China in 2022 in a bid to keep the conversation going about tennis player Peng Shuai who has not been heard from since early November following her explosive sexual assault allegations.

"In good conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete [in China] when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault," said Steve Simon, the WTA's chairman and CEO, in a statement.

Simon says too risky to hold WTA events in China

He was also concerned about the risks players and staff would face should the WTA hold events in China next year. The suspension, enacted immediately, will also apply to events in Hong Kong.

"If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweet allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded -- equality for women -- would suffer an immense setback," Simon said. "I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players."

A WTA spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse over the weekend that Simon had made numerous attempts to reach Peng directly, "to which it was clear her responses were influenced by others".

"While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation," Simon said Wednesday, reiterating the WTA's call for a "full and transparent" investigation into Peng's original charges.

Although the chances of WTA tournaments really happening in China are slim because of its strict regulations in trying to keep Covid-19 at bay, Simon's statement and actions are the strongest yet to counter Beijing's bungled handling of this scandal.

Lai honoured with prestigious press freedom prize

In another sign of pushback, jailed tycoon and publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and his staff of the now shuttered Apple Daily have won the prestigious press freedom prize by the World Association of News Publishers.

The pro-democracy newspaper shut down abruptly in June following charges of breaching the national security law. Lai and several senior executives and editors have been detained on "foreign collusion" charges over Apple Daily's support for international sanctions against China.

Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, said this year's Golden Pen of Freedom award highlighted the "fears and challenges" of journalists who face increasing curbs in Hong Kong.

"The jailing of a publisher, the arrest of an editor-in-chief and his senior colleagues, the shuttering of a newsroom, and the closure of a media title -- the 2021 Golden Pen award recognises, and reflects on, all of these," Fernandez said at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

Sebastian Lai received the award on behalf of his father, and said there will be "less and less people shining light in these dark corners" given Apple Daily's shutdown and the ongoing crackdown on journalism in the region.

Lai's son collected the award on his father's behalf

In a statement announcing the award, the World Association of News Publishers called Lai an "outspoken critic of Beijing's control over Hong Kong and a high-profile supporter of the pro-democracy movement".

Established in 1961, the Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award that recognises outstanding contributions to the defence and promotion of press freedom.

Lai and Apple Daily, and by extension Hong Kong, are still being remembered by the rest of the world. 

HK Protest Documentary Wins Golden Horse

A still from Chow's Revolution of Our Times documentary

Tonight the Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world's equivalent of the Oscars was held tonight and the Hong Kong documentary on the 2019 protests was named Best Documentary.

When the film Revolution of Our Times was announced as the winner, it prompted a long round of applause and shouts of support for Hong Kong from the audience in Taipei.

Director Kiwi Chow sent a pre-recorded message from Hong Kong. He expressed thanks for the award, dedicated the film to Hong Kong people, saying he hoped it would bring them some comfort.

Chow speaking via a recorded message in HK

"I cried a lot when I produced this film; several times I comforted myself with this film, to express my anger, hatred, to face my fear and trauma," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

The 152-minute documentary follows several protesters and documents their clashes with police in the 2019 anti-government protests. 

Revolution of Our Times was a last-minute addition to the Cannes Film Festival lineup in July, but it will never be shown in Hong Kong because of the national security law which prohibits any hint of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces.

As a result those in the arts and culture fields are worried about work being misconstrued as contravening the national security law. Most recently the opening of M+ contemporary art museum resulted in photographs by dissident artist Ai Weiwei not being displayed even though they are part of a collection donated by well-known Swiss collector Uli Sigg.

This big win for the documentary comes days after the second anniversary of the District Council elections where 71 percent of registered voters turned the city's electoral map yellow except for one district. It was an unprecedented win for the pro-democrats, but the victory was short lived, again because of the national security law.

A poster of the documentary

Since then the city's institutions are being dismantled from the district councillors themselves to grassroots organisations and unions, as well as a pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily.

Chow's film is a reminder of what happened and to never forget.

HK's Press Freedom from Two Sides

The Foreign Correspondents' Club at crosshairs with Beijing

The Foreign Correspondents' Club may be in a perilous position after the Hong Kong office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused the association of abandoning its professional ethics and "sowing discord" over the state of press freedom in the city.

The condemnation came after the FCC published a survey of 99 journalists, of which 83 said the working environment for the media had "changed for the worse" since Beijing imposed the national security law in June last year.

Media landscape changed after NSL enacted

More than 90 percent of respondents also had concerns about a looming law against "fake news", which the government wants to introduce to combat doxxing, hate speech and misinformation amid the coronavirus pandemic, and after the anti-government protests in 2019.

"We urge the FCC to stop sowing discord and refrain from interfering with the law-based governance of [the Hong Kong administration] and [the city's] rule of law in the name of press freedom," said the office of the foreign ministry's commissioner in a strongly worded statement.

"The FCC has walked away from its professional ethics. Its misleading report, based on just a few responses, is neither representative nor credible. Its smearing of Hong Kong's press freedom and playing up of the chilling effect are interference in Hong Kong's affairs."

FCC respondents concerned about reporting

However, on the club's website, FCC president Keith Richburg said the club would not respond to the ministry's statement.

The FCC survey found more than four-fifths of respondents had noted the challenges of finding sources willing to be quoted for news stories since the national security law was enacted, with even relatively neutral topics deemed too political by interviewees.

One FCC member said previously sources were more willing to speak on any topic within reason, while publications had no real concerns on what they could publish, or on protecting who would speak to them.

"Now, many people are reluctant or refuse to talk on sensitive subjects, and our organization, especially after the raids on Apple Daily, is much more cautious about data security and the ability to protect sources," the member said.

Apple Daily was forced to close earlier this year

Apple Daily saw its publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and several executives and newsroom editors arrested on security law charges, and was ultimately forced to shut down earlier this year.

Fifty-six percent of survey respondents said they practiced some self-censorship or avoided reporting on what might be considered sensitive stories.

Another member added considering covering the topic of Hong Kong independence had to be carefully considered before covering it in detail.

"These results clearly show that assurances that Hong Kong still enjoys press freedom, guaranteed under the Basic Law, are not enough," Richburg said of the survey before Beijing's rebuke.

"More steps need to be taken to restore confidence among journalists and to make sure Hong Kong maintains its decades-long reputation as a welcoming place for the international media."

Richburg say confidence must be restored

However, the foreign ministry office said the survey's findings had "attacked the national security law", and countered that the legislation had protected the country, restored social stability and given people a greater sense of safety.

"Thanks to the law, Hong Kong could refocus on fighting Covid-19, revitalising the economy and improving people's livelihood," it said.

It should be pointed out that the survey's respondents are mostly expats, though it wouldn't be surprising to find local journalists feel the same, if not even more worried about the effect of the national security law on their reporting.

But the foreign ministry insists everything is fine in Hong Kong, if not better with the national security law, so the FCC perhaps is hoping to resolve the situation by agreeing to disagree. Though one gets the feeling that won't satisfy Beijing...

Alliance Assets Frozen, Govt to Wind Down Next Digital

Cartoons of Szeto Wah (left) and Zhao Ziyang taken by police

Even though the group that used to organize the annual June 4 candlelight vigils had already decided to disband, the national security police has preempted the process by freezing all the assets, including bank accounts, property such as the June 4 museum which totals to about HK$2.2 million (US$282,000).

On Saturday the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China had voted to disband in a majority 41-4 vote. However, today (Wednesday), the alliance's secretary Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong who is handling the group's dissolution, was notified by the National Security department that it had frozen its assets, including the museum in Mongkok.

Tsoi says the alliance's assets have been frozen

In early September the police had already raided the museum, taking away documents, computers, cardboard presentations, and even large cartoon caricatures of the late Chinese premier Zhao Ziyang and the alliance's late co-founder Szeto Wah.

Tsoi said he would submit a letter to the National Security department asking it to unfreeze the bank accounts and museum as the group needed to process winding-up procedures.

The police accusing the alliance of acting as a "foreign agent", an offence under the national security law, and sent letters to 12 members of the group demanding for more information about its member list, financial reports and activities, a request they refused to comply with.

What will happen? Maybe the alliance can look to what is happening to Next Digital.

Lai's company will be wound up by the govt

The parent company that used to publish Apple Daily is in a similar situation: its HK$18 million in assets were frozen, and now the Hong Kong government is looking to wind up Next Digital for jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has filed a petition to the Court of First Instance to liquidate the 40-year old company under powers granted by the Companies Ordinance and a hearing is scheduled for December 15.

"After considering the interim report, the financial secretary took the view that it would be expedient in the public interest that Next Digital be wound up, and therefore decided to present a winding up petition to the court," the government said.

Market regulator the Securities and Futures Commission also believes it is in the public interest to wind up the company based on its information.

Next Digital's assets amount to HK$18 million

A source said no one was left at Next Digital to handle its assets after key management personnel had resigned.

While a former desk editor at Apple Daily said about 1,000 staff members were still owed salaries, she wondered whether the mandatory winding up would allow the authorities to gain access to sensitive staff information, such as emails and minutes of board meetings.

"If this happens, I don't think the government winding up is a good move as claimed," she said.

 

Defiance, Resignation and a Sad Milestone

The alliance organized the June 4 candlelight vigil for 30 years

 

The national security police has demanded the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China hand over information about its membership, operations and finances. 

Chow (left) denies group is a foreign agent

However, this afternoon the alliance said in a press conference it would not comply with the letters demanding specifics about their activities and fundraising sources.

"We will not provide the information requested," alliance vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung said, accusing police of failing to explain why the group was being characterized as a foreign agent, and dismissing the demand for information as a "fishing expedition".

"The national security department... is setting a very bad precedent by casually labelling any civic groups as foreign agents and then asserting that they have the power to demand any information [they want]," she said.

Chow, who is also a barrister added: "[Police] did not mention any reason in the letters they gave us... Hong Kong is an international city, having foreign connections is most natural," Chow said. "If having foreign links makes you a foreign agent, everyone here is a foreign agent."

Apple Daily staff on last day, June 24, 2021

However the national security police was not pleased with the alliance's response and threatened fines and jail time for providing "false, incorrect or incomplete" information.

The Security Bureau also chimed in, saying: "The damage is serious.  Action must be taken to prevent and suppress the act," a spokesman said. "To avoid bearing the legal risk, the organization concerned should immediately turn back before it is too late."

Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong accused the alliance of having "no fear of the law".

"Since the day it was founded, the alliance included subverting state power and overthrowing the Communist Party's rule as its political goals. In the name of democracy, it has opposed China and caused trouble in Hong Kong," a spokesman said. "It didn't show any remorse for what it did in the past, and chose to resist and refuse the police's demand for information."

Directors thanked readers for their support

Meanwhile Next Digital's board of four directors will resign tonight in a bid to have "an orderly liquidation" to serve the best interests of shareholders and stakeholders including employees and readers.

In a statement released today, the directors say the invocation of the national security law affected the company and its people despite having no trials and no convictions. "Under this new law, a company can be forced into liquidation without the involvement of the courts," it says.

They hope the liquidation will enable funds be used to pay the employees who lost their jobs with Apple Daily and pay off creditors. 

Then they go on to thank numerous people, the shareholders, the businesses and service providers who placed ads despite political pressure, their journalists and staff, and the readers.

Lai currently in jail for litany of charges

"Most importantly, we thank the readers of Apple Daily. You put your trust in the work of our journalists and you understand that a free society and free markets depend on the free flow of information. 

"As Apple Daily often observed, Hong Kong people have a collective memory of what life was like elsewhere when freedom of speech was denied. No other rights are safe. In 2019 when Apple Daily launched its program of charging a subscription price for access to its website and mobile products, more than 500,000 Hong Kong people quickly subscribed out of the total population of 7.5 million -- by far the greatest penetration of digital subscribers of any news publisher in the world. 

"More than one million copies were printed of the final print issue of Apple Daily. Loyal readers reaffirmed Apple Daily's editorial commitment to Hong Kong values of the rule of law, open markets, greater democracy and individual opportunity."

The statement then adds: "We are confident that the company's founder, majority shareholder and former chairman, Jimmy Lai, would join us in these expressions of gratitude if he were able to communicate from his prison cell."

Remembering Spavor and Kovrig on 1,000th day

And speaking of prison, today marks the 1,000th day of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig behind bars in China. 

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau issued a statement saying: "Both men are being arbitrarily detained. We strongly condemn the lack of a transparent legal process.

"Years have been cruelly stolen from both men and their families. Despite this, they have shown integrity and courage throughout this terrible ordeal.

"We are inspired by their resilience as we continue to work tirelessly with our allies and international partners to do everything we can to bring them home.

He goes on to say: "Arbitrarily detaining foreign citizens is unjust and immoral. Sixty-six countries endorsed the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations earlier this year and call for an end to this practice and for the release of all individuals detained for diplomatic leverage."

More Civil Society Groups Targeted by Police

 

CHRF organized several peaceful marches in 2019

The Hong Kong Police have set their next target on the Civil Human Rights Front, which is best known for organizing the annual July 1 protest marches from 2003 until last year. The group is reportedly disbanding.

And even though the government has said the national security law is not retroactive from July 1, 2020, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee says CHRF is suspected of violating the national security law in recent years.

Siu says groups can be investigated anytime

Pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao quoted Siu as saying the police will investigate whether CHRF has violated the national security law.

The front had organized some of the biggest peaceful protest marches since the handover, in particular their first rally with over 500,000 protesting against Article 23 and against the extradition bill in 2019.

Siu said the CHRF had never registered with the authorities since its establishment in 2002.

However, every year, the police coordinated with the CHRF in having police officers along the route to ensure the march was orderly.

Nevertheless, Siu said the police are always collecting evidence and can take action against unlawful groups at anytime.

Chan, Sham and Lee (far right) are all in jail now

He added even though well-known figures from CHRF are already behind bars, like Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit and Figo Chan Ho-wun, the police can still investigate other key members and charge them.

The police are using the national security law to pressure groups to disband even though they may have not done anything legally wrong up to July 1, 2020. 

But in the hopes of avoiding the force from possibly arresting members and freezing bank accounts like what happened to Apple Daily, groups like the Professional Teachers' Union and now the CHRF hope they can try to wind things up quickly and not get in trouble with the law.

Except it seems that once they are targeted, that's the beginning of the end, no matter how they try to continue to exist -- they can't.

HKJA may be the next police target

While the PTU will disband soon, the group still has to sell off its various properties and ensure some 200 staff are paid in full. Having to sell quickly means the union will not necessarily get good prices for the properties, but it has no choice but to dissolve as quickly as possible.

It's a difficult situation for those affected and those who think they may be next.

The next target? Possibly the Hong Kong Journalists' Association, which a pro-establishment newspaper has described as protecting violence and spreading rumours...

Voucher Spending Frenzy

People flocked to MTR stations to collect their Octopus subsidy

 

Finally we can start spending the first installment of our HK$5,000 (US$643) voucher!

Those who registered with Octopus get their HK$2,000 today and many headed to the MTR station to collected the subsidy.

Others who registered with AliPay, Wechat Pay HK, and Tap & Go also received their HK$2,000.

And according to media reports people immediately started spending that free money -- well their own taxpayer money -- on everything from food to clothes, electronic gadgets and Rolex watches.

Chan says HK$30 billion will be spent in HK

Some even pooled their vouchers to buy refrigerators or HK$2,600 worth of food at a supermarket.

Sounds like people are dying to shop which is strange considering last year the government gave out HK$10,000 in cash. There was hardly a frenzy to use the money then...

Nevertheless, the government is hoping the extra HK$30 billion floating around Hong Kong will stimulate the economy and get people to spend -- they have to use it all in order to get the next installment.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also gave another reason for the vouchers. 

"We also hope the vouchers can promote the trend of electronic payments... We believe overall, the vouchers will have a positive impact. Its concrete impact will be reviewed after the scheme has been rolled out," he said today.

The government may want to use this as a way to track people's spending and see where their money is going...

Lam spent a whopping HK$2,000 on apples today

About 5.5 million people or 75 percent of the population are eligible to register for the voucher if they registered before July 17.

It's interesting to note that today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor posted on Facebook a picture of her at a supermarket called U-Select where she said she spent HK$2,000 on buying 200 apples for a local sports event.

Aside from her comment that, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" alludes to Apple Daily, does she know she was ripped off paying HK$10 per apple?