Carrie Lam hits back at foreign criticism of Stand News arrests

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has hit back at foreign officials who criticised the arrests of seven people for allegedly publishing seditious articles.

What was Hong Kong's most prominent anti-government media outlet - after the now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily - folded on Wednesday, the same day the arrests were made.

Referring to international condemnation led by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the closure of Stand News, Mrs Lam yesterday said all sorts of accusations have been made about the arrests.

She noted that Mr Blinken, in response to the arrests, said journalism is not sedition.

"Well, I agree that journalism is not sedition, but seditious acts and activities and inciting other people through public acts and activities could not be condoned under the guise of news reporting," she said, adding that human rights and freedom are not unfettered.

"Freedom of speech is not something you can use to absolve you if you breach the law but package yourself as a practitioner in the press."

Stand News and its top brass are accused of inciting hatred towards the Hong Kong government through seditious articles published from July last year to November this year.

On foreign criticism that the arrests created a "chilling effect" in the city's media landscape, Mrs Lam retorted that she still sees "criticisms and comments against me".

"For example, there is a letter to a newspaper in English that criticised me. You can express your views if you are unhappy with the work of a certain government official," she said.

Mrs Lam dismissed talk that the police are targeting specific media organisations, noting that they are carrying out enforcement work that has nothing to do with the industry.

She said Hong Kong has to maintain its rule of law and protect its security, so those who violate the law must be held accountable and this principle must not be undermined.

 

"What we target are activities that contravene the law and the action taken is based on investigation, the decision of the Department of Justice, and then the case will be given to the court to make a ruling. The court will impartially make a ruling based on the evidence and the facts," she said.

 

Mrs Lam's comments came a day after 200 national security police raided the Kwun Tong office of Stand News and also arrested six former staff and directors, as well as a former Apple Daily executive.

Hours after the very public arrests, where HK$61 million (S$10.6 million) in assets were seized, Stand News announced its closure.

"By silencing independent media, PRC and the local authorities undermine Hong Kong's credibility and viability," said Mr Blinken on Wednesday, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"A confident government that is unafraid of the truth embraces a free press."

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly also denounced the arrests, while European Union spokesman Peter Stano earlier wrote on Twitter that the raid and arrests marked "a further deterioration in #PressFreedom" in the city.

China's Foreign Ministry said comments by the EU and the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong had "vilified Hong Kong's rule of law and freedom, and emboldened anti-China elements in Hong Kong".

Yesterday, the United Kingdom branch of Stand News announced it would cease operations, with content provided by the UK office removed.

Two Stand News executives - acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam Shiu Tung and former chief editor Chung Pui Kuen, who quit last month - have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publication under the colonial-era Crimes Ordinance.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of two years' jail and a HK$5,000 fine.

Lam and Chung are among the seven arrested on Wednesday.

The others are former lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi Yee, pop singer Denise Ho, Mr Chow Tat Chi, Ms Christine Fang Meng Sang, and Mr Chung's wife, Ms Chan Pui Man, who is a former associate publisher of Apple Daily.