Wednesday, December 29, 2021
ISLAMABAD (News advertisment. DW News. December 29, 2021) According to a statement issued by the Hong Kong government, these six people have been arrested for publishing material through which they can betray the people against the government. Were provoking
According to the AFP news agency, Patrick Lam, editor-in-chief of Stand News, was seen being handcuffed by police.
According to local media, Chung Poi Kevin and four other board members who resigned in June this year have also been arrested.
Police raids offices and homes
During the raid on the stand news office, the police kept searching the contents.
Two hundred police officers searched the office of an online media company, police said in a statement.
According to Fabi Kong, DW's Hong Kong correspondent, the Hong Kong National Security Department also searched the home of Ransen Chen, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association.
Ranson Chen,who is also deputy editor of Stand News, said police seized his computer, cell phone, tablet, press pass and bank records.
He was also taken to the police station for questioning but was later released.
"Stand News has always been a professional news reporter, and criminal charges will not change that fact," Ranson Chen told reporters.
'Extremely dangerous' example
Eric Lee, a fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Asia Law, told DW that the arrests were a "very dangerous development" and that the government could now arrest anyone.
Lee said the government was also accused of publishing provocative material a few months ago to arrest the publishers of a children's book. According to Lee, this is a very disturbing situation because in Hong Kong, under this law, the government can declare any material anti-government and arrest the publishers.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called the arrests an open blow to Hong Kong's already affected media freedom.
Attempts to stifle anti-government voices
This is not the first time Hong Kong police have arrested journalists.In June this year, the government raided the office of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and arrested journalists.
The newspaper was accused of collaborating with foreign powers against the Hong Kong government.
The Chinese city, which was under British control until 1997, passed a controversial national security law last June. Many pro-democracy activists were arrested under the law. The same law was used to crack down on pro-democracy protesters. Prior to this month's election, the pro-China Hong Kong government passed laws that allowed only candidates who had been approved by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments to run.
