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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under new national security law Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under new national security law
(32 minutes later)
Leading pro-democracy figure detained over alleged foreign collusion as police search Apple Daily officesLeading pro-democracy figure detained over alleged foreign collusion as police search Apple Daily offices
Hong Kong media tycoon and leading pro-democracy figure, Jimmy Lai, has been arrested for alleged foreign collusion under controversial new national security laws, and the offices of his newspaper Apple Daily have been searched by police. One of Hong Kong’s most strident pro-democracy figures has been arrested and the newspaper he runs searched by police in a stark escalation by authorities enforcing new national security laws brought in by Beijing.
The 71-year-old, who is already facing several other charges over the organisation and promotion of protests last year, was detained on Monday morning. The raid on Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy daily paper, and arrest of Jimmy Lai were condemned by activists and journalists, who said they marked “the day press freedom officially died”.
Later Mark Simon, Lai’s top aide, tweeted that police were executing a search warrant on the newsroom floor of Apple Daily’s offices. A live stream showed dozens of police at the Apple Daily headquarters carrying hundreds of plastic evidence tubs. Staff filmed plain clothed officers walking through the newsroom, casually rifling through piles of paper on people’s desk. Later, Lai himself was brought in, appearing to be handcuffed, and taken into an office. Lai, a 72-year-old media tycoon and outspoken funder of the pro-democracy movement, was arrested alongside six others including his son, on suspicion of “collusion with foreign forces”, and conspiracy to commit fraud on Monday morning.
Hong Kong police confirmed seven people aged 39 to 72 had been arrested on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces against national security, and conspiracy to commit fraud. “The police operation is still ongoing and does not rule out more arrests,” the force said. “The police operation is still ongoing and does not rule out more arrests,” the police force said.
Chinese state media, CCTV said the seven people including Lai were arrested by the newly established Hong Kong national security office and pro-Beijing Hong Kong title, Oriental Daily, said there was also a warrant issued for Simon. Apple Daily reported Lai’s son was also arrested. Lai’s arrest, while not unexpected, has alarmed the city which has been on edge after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law, and outlawed sedition and secessionist activities, and collusion with foreign forces.
Lai’s arrest is the most high profile under the new law since it was implemented. It comes after the US enacted sanctions against senior Hong Kong officials, including the chief executive, Carrie Lam, and comes amid deepening concern over Hong Kong’s democratic decline. Lai is the most high profile figure detained under the law, and if charged with foreign collusion offences would faces potential sentences of three to 10 years in prison – or up to life for an offence “of a grave nature”.
Lai’s arrest and the raid on Apple Daily is the first time the law has been used against media in Hong Kong, which has historically had a high level of press freedom. Last month the New York Times announced it was moving part of its Hong Kong bureau to South Korea, and several outlets have complained of foreign journalist visas not being renewed. On Monday the Standard news website reported the immigration department had established a national security unit to vet “sensitive” visa applications, including from journalists. In 2019 state media labeled him one of a new Gang of Four conspiring against Beijing alongside Anson Chan, Martin Lee, and Albert Ho. He is already facing several charges over involvement in last year’s pro-democracy protests, and was one of 25 people charged on Friday over attending a Tiananmen Square massacre vigil on 4 June.
If Lai is charged with foreign collusion offences, he faces potential sentences of three to 10 years in prison, or up to life for an offence “of a grave nature”. A report in hawkish Chinese state media mouthpiece The Global Times labeled Lai a “modern-day traitor” and suggested he was unlikely to receive bail and would face “heavy penalties”.
Lai’s company, Next Media, is the publisher of Apple Daily, Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy daily. Activist Eddie Chu-hoi Dick accused the Chinese Communist Party of wanting to close the paper, and said Lai’s arrest was “the first step of [a] HK media blackout”. Hong Kong journalists have repeatedly warned the security laws would have a chilling affect on media in the territory.
Activist and legislator Eddie Chu-hoi Dick accused the Chinese Communist Party of wanting to close Apple Daily, and said Lai’s arrest was “the first step of [a] HK media blackout”.
Hours after his arrest Lai was marched, handcuffed, through the Apple Daily newsroom as hundreds of police streamed into the building, confiscating documents and casually rifling through papers on journalists’ desks. Live streams of the raid were watched by tens of thousands, and appeared to give the lie to police claims that they would not be targeting any “news materials” in their search.
Later, police barred numerous news organisations including Reuters, Agence France Presse, the Associated Press, and the publicly funding broadcaster RTHK, from attending a press conference about the search. The Hong Kong journalist Association head, Chris Yeung, said the raid was “horrendous”.
“I think in some third-world countries there has been this kind of press freedom suppression, I just didn’t expect it to be in Hong Kong,” he told media.
Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy legislator and a former journalist, said she was more surprised by the raid than the arrest.Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy legislator and a former journalist, said she was more surprised by the raid than the arrest.
“This is just so drastic and blatant,” she said. “They’re sending a clear warning signal to the Hong Kong media, plus any foreign media stationed here, to behave, to watch out,” she told the Guardian. “This is just so drastic and blatant,” she told the Guardian. “They’re sending a clear warning signal to the Hong Kong media, plus any foreign media stationed here, to behave, to watch out.”
Keith Richburg, veteran correspondent and now head of Hong Kong University’s media school, said the raid and arrests of Lai and newspaper executives were outrageous.
“I think that’s the day you can say that is the day press freedom officially died, and it didn’t die a natural death. It was killed by Beijing and it was killed by Carrie Lam and Hong Kong police.”
The police operation marked the first time the new security law has been used against media in Hong Kong, which has historically had a high level of press freedom. Last month the New York Times announced it was moving part of its Hong Kong bureau to South Korea, and several outlets have complained of foreign journalist visas not being renewed. On Monday the Standard news website reported the immigration department had established a national security unit to vet “sensitive” visa applications, including from journalists.
The arrests prompted some speculation that it was retaliation for US sanctions against senior Hong Kong officials, including the chief executive, Carrie Lam. The accusations of foreign collusion against Lai have been at least partly driven by his meetings with and support from senior US figures inlcuding secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
Editor-in-chief of the Global Times, Hu Xijin, said the arrests reflected that the Hong Kong government “wasn’t intimidated by US sanctions”, and he said the sanctions were actually driving civil servants further towards Beijing.
Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a China academic at the University of California, and author of Hong Kong on the Brink, said the move could be linked to anger over the US sanctions, “but they are also part of ongoing trend, blow after blow against people and institutions in Hong Kong linked to its vibrant civil society.”Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a China academic at the University of California, and author of Hong Kong on the Brink, said the move could be linked to anger over the US sanctions, “but they are also part of ongoing trend, blow after blow against people and institutions in Hong Kong linked to its vibrant civil society.”
He said the current circumstances were potentially more severe than Lai’s previous arrests which occurred prior to the implementation national security law, when there was “still a separation of powers” in Hong Kong. Wasserstrom said the current circumstances were potentially more severe than Lai’s previous arrests which occurred prior to the implementation national security law, when there was “still a separation of powers” in Hong Kong.
“There is the risk, under this frightening new normal, that he could be taken to the mainland to be tried,” he said. “Differences between political life and civil society in Hong Kong and mainland cities still remain, but events like these arrests show that what was once a chasm is not quickly, very quickly, becoming a narrow gap.”“There is the risk, under this frightening new normal, that he could be taken to the mainland to be tried,” he said. “Differences between political life and civil society in Hong Kong and mainland cities still remain, but events like these arrests show that what was once a chasm is not quickly, very quickly, becoming a narrow gap.”
The national security laws were imposed by Beijing in late June.
Foreign collusion crimes include requesting or conspiring with a foreign country, institution, organisation or individual – or receiving instruction or funding from them – to disrupt government legislation, undermine an election, or impose sanctions against Hong Kong or mainland China. “Provoking by unlawful means hatred among Hong Kong residents towards the government of Hong Kong or mainland China” is also outlawed.
Lai was also among 25 people charged on Friday over attending a Tiananmen Square massacre vigil on 4 June.
A report in hawkish Chinese state media mouthpiece The Global Times, suggested Lai was unlikely to receive bail and would face “heavy penalties”.
Last week elections scheduled for September were delayed for a year, ostensibly due to the pandemic, and the pro-democracy candidates were disqualified.
On Sunday Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand urged Hong Kong to hold elections as soon as possible.
Britain’s foreign minister Dominic Raab said in the joint statement from the “five eyes” countries were gravely concerned about the disqualification of candidates in Hong Kong.
“We call on the Hong Kong government to reinstate the eligibility of disqualified candidates,” the statement said. “We urge the Hong Kong government to hold the elections as soon as possible.”
It said the security law was “eroding the Hong Kong people’s fundamental rights and liberties”.